The Billionaire’s Bargain Bride

Finally Over

CENRIC

I fucking miss her.

I could feel her fear radiating from inside the room when she walked in. She was also cautious and vigilant, checking things out around the room. When she started crying, I fought the urge not to run inside and pulled her into my arms.

What a few minutes I couldn’t wait till my sacrifices for this case would be over. Hanslo was going to be locked up in jail for a long time. Maybe a lifetime. On the other hand, if Jasper wouldn’t commit any crimes, he could start a new life away from his father’s influence. Their operation was over. I finally put this Chapter of my life to an end.

I closed my eyes and thought of my brothers Wade and Gunner. They were probably celebrating this victory.

Sadie’s wit answers made me chuckle.

“She seems so innocent like you said,” the case officer said.

“I told you, she doesn’t know anything.

He looked at me. He’d get the promotion, and I helped my brothers get the justice they deserved, and I also helped those victims get their lives back.

“We just wanted to make sure there’s no foul play. You know how it works.”

“How long would it take?” Beck asked. He was not supposed to be involved in this, but that was my deal. I would help them capture Hanslo if Beck knew what I signed up for. Just in case, things went south.

“Just a couple more questions. She’s interrupting. That’s why it takes longer than usual.”

“Imagine his surprise when Hanslo saw you walk away,” Beck sang.

“We make sure he’d locked up for a long time. How would you explain that to your wife?”

“I will tell her the truth. She deserves it.”

“She’s feisty in that room. I wonder how she would react when you tell her the truth.”

“She’s already angry with me, and I haven’t apologized. This would be harder than I thought.”

“Challenging, yeah. But I’m sure she would understand,” Beck said.

I followed her when she walked out of the room, but she seemed in deep thoughts. There were still many things she didn’t know about what I had been doing for the last three years. My guess was she was putting two and two together now.

“Sadie?”

She startled and froze. She realized I was the one who called her. I knew it because I always felt the same way when she was near.

There was a surprising look on her face and excitement in her eyes, but that was not what I expected. I expected her to run into me and tell me that she was relieved.

“So, you’re okay?”

“You seem not happy to see me.”

“So did you.” She turned around.

“Babe, we need to talk. This has been long overdue.” I followed her when she walked fast. “Babe?”

She still ignored me.

“Damn it, Sadie! Stop!”

She did. She was heaving. “You son of bitch!” She poked my chest. “I went home thinking that I would apologize for my sucky behavior, but you were not there. And these guys?” She pointed at Linden and Devin joining us. “They didn’t know, or you wouldn’t let them tell me where you were. And then I received a call from the FBI. Do you know how does it feel?” She narrowed her eyes into murderous slits. “I came over here without knowing what to expect. Then.” She gestured her hands. “Look at you. You look fine.”

“Would you rather see me hurt instead?”

“A simple truth would be fine. But I know something dubious is going on. I just don’t know what it is. And let me guess, you’re still not allowed to tell me.”

“I will explain to you everything.”

She looked at me. “That my father is a psycho gun smuggler and operates a Fentanyl factory? Wow! It sounds better than Willy Wonka.” She shook her head in disappointment. “So, how did I fit in your life, Cenric? Your pawn? I was a part of your plan, was it? To infiltrate my father’s business? How about that twenty-five million dollars? Jeez. I’m out of here.” She turned around, waving off her hand.

“Sadie, that’s not the whole story. I will tell you everything once we get home. I promise.”

“I’m not interested anymore.”

“I know you are.”

She stopped. When she faced me, she was already crying. “Then you don’t know me.”

“I know you care for the truth. I know you care for me.”

“Maybe the price I paid for being your property. I’m just a human being, after all.”

“Stop walking away from me. Just take a minute to let it sink in.”

“I don’t need a minute.” She entered the car.

Linden held my arm before I could follow her inside. “Finish whatever unfinished business you have here. I’ll take her home. By the time you get back, she’s already calmed down.”

I nodded.

“I’m not angry with you for keeping me out of whatever deal you made. I hope you get what you’d hoped to achieve.”

They drove off. I left here alone, thinking of what Linden just told me. I may have achieved what I wanted for years, but I still felt the pain, and the hollow in my chest was still there.

“It doesn’t look okay.” Beck came over.

“What did Marques say?”

“We’re good to go. He’ll keep us posted.”

I got in the passenger seat, thinking if I did achieve something. I did—a huge one. And that is what mattered. My relationship, on the other hand, was on the brink. My wife was pissed at me. Linden didn’t look happy either.

Beck drove silently for the last five minutes.

“Do you feel fulfilled?”

“Considering how many lives we supposed have saved, yeah. You, on the other hand, should fix your marriage before it would be too late.”

“I feel her slipping away from me, Beck.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

He tsked. “Nah. Sadie doesn’t know everything yet. Don’t explain to her, brother. Just tell her the story. Soon, she would understand and might appreciate your gesture and thank you for what you did.”

I looked at him. “You think so?”

“I do. I saw how worried Sadie was. That’s the true emotion a woman couldn’t hide. She cares. She’s angry, yes. Definitely.”

We arrived home. Devin gestured that Sadie was up in the room.

“Gabe, we need to talk.”

“We’re good, man. Go check her out. We’re not going anywhere.”

“Thanks.” I hugged him like a brother.

I did two steps at a time, sprinting into our room. The room was dark, but there was a light coming from her bathroom.

“Babe? Sadie?” She didn’t respond. She was in the bathtub with her eyes closed.

I sighed deeply as I sat down beside her outside the tub. I closed my eyes and tried to put my memories back in order.

“I was in my last mission before my break. It was just a recon, at first. We were already talking about how we spent our vacation. I planned to go to Alaska, maybe ice skiing, you know, something cold, away from the desert. So, we got to the small clinic. We had the doctors with us. The mission went south before we could go far. We got separated. Beck and I were with this beautiful doctor.” I paused.

I pinched the bridge of my nose before I continued. “She was hit in the abdomen. I didn’t believe it was that serious because I’ve seen people get through it. She told me she wouldn’t make it and made me promise to take her daughter away from her father, and that man was not a good person. I told her to stop talking and save her strength instead. She said, find her for me. She made me promise to do whatever it took. She forced me to take the crumpled picture in her hand.”

Sadie understood somehow. She was shaking in the tub. She realized I was talking about her mother, the woman I failed to save.

“Before I turned to her, she was hit directly in the head. That’s what killed her. I didn’t only fail my mission, but I failed to keep her alive. I lost my parents as well. That was the darkest time of my life. When I got home, I looked for you. I saw you once outside your school. I went away for months. When I came back, I focused on making money. I invested all my assets and my inheritance. It paid off. Then I came for Hanslo. I learned everything about him, from his strengths to his weaknesses. Since he loved money so much, I took that as an advantage. He’s in the FBI custody, so to speak, Sadie. You can hate me for the rest of your life. But when I made a promise, I would do everything to fulfill it. I don’t know your mother, but my world and yours just collided when my brothers died because your father sold those guns to the militants. How are you here in my life? I may have planned it, but you are my wife now. Nothing can change that fact.”

“Is my brother is in FBI custody too?”

“No. He’s safe somewhere. Suppose he’s not stupid enough to get in trouble. He’s going to have a good life after him.”

“How did you know?” She was still looking at the water.

“I offered him a deal, and I made sure he couldn’t say no to me. He said he’s sorry for what he put you through.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?”

“Babe, look at me.” She glanced up at me, and I looked at her in the eye. She was horrified and hurt. “Truth hurts, babe. And it had been so hard for me as well. Keeping the truth from you is not easy. Lying every day to someone you care about feels like I’m dragged away into the dark. I’m so sorry. Your mother was Yelena.”

“Yelena Arisov.”

“And I have something to tell you.”