Mafia Billionaire’s Forlorn Wife
Chapter 46

Arabella

I stand with my ear pressed against the door as I listen in on Leo’s footsteps padding across the hall and towards what I am assuming is the front door of his apartment.

I can’t see what’s happening outside but I hold my breath until I hear the unmistakable voice of my husband, “Where is she?”

My heart shudders in my chest at the raging tremor to his words, proving how angry he is right now. There is no doubt that he has seen the outrageous video currently flying all over the internet, immortalising one of the moments of my life where I was the most scared.

“Not here.” Leo replies in a steel voice and I know my best friend is going to hold his ground for my sake. He’s going to try his level best to send Rhys on his way, but I fear that with how angry my husband sounds, he might try to harm Leo.

“Don’t f**k with me, Leo.” Rhys growls and my hand instantly covers my tummy protectively as I continue listening.

“What do you want from me? Bella isn’t here and I was sleeping. Just go away,” Leo tries to reason in a rational manner.

I know Leo. And I know Rhys. And somehow, neither of them has a good side when they’re angry. Right now, they’re angry at each other.

“I said DON’T f**k WITH ME LEO!” Rhys screams and my knees almost fall to the ground at the pure fury in his voice. My hand tightens over my lower abdomen and I feel a tear streaking down my eye as I try to stay silent.

“Yeah?” Leo snaps, “what are you gonna do about it, dickhead?” He says and I hear some shuffling as more worry rises in my chest, “do you even know how much pain you’ve caused her?”

Rhys lets out a sarcastic laugh at that, sending another jolt of pain through my heart as he says, “I’ve caused her pain? Me? And what has she been doing since the very day I proposed to her?”

My brows furrow, wondering what he is even talking about as I try my hardest to not let panic overtake my body.

“You have got to be kidding me.” Leo says swearing under his breath, “since the first night of the wedding, you have made her life hell. And now if she wants nothing to do with you then you come here knocking down my door like some fanatic?”

I shake my head, scrunching my eyes shut as I pray to whoever is listening, for Rhys to leave and never come back. I just wish he would leave me alone.

“She started this marriage on a lie.” Rhys growls, “she told her cousin about how she only wishes to marry me for my money. Do you really think I would have any respect for a woman like that?”

My eyes widen as I remember the conversation that he is talking about and I hear the sound of my heart crashing as I realise that for the last six months, Rhys has only been concerned about his revenge and his hatred towards me that not once has he come up to tell me about this particular thing.

The circumstances of that conversation were completely different and had he actually asked me about it, I would have told him the truth.

But what’s the point now? He’s just going to say that I am lying.

“Okay, I don’t know what the f**k you are talking about but I am going to ask you to leave again. I am seriously done with this entire conversation. And as far as Arabella is concerned, wherever she is, I’m sure she doesn’t want to see you.”

I shed tears of pain while Leo says those words as I realise how this marriage was doomed from the very beginning.

“Yeah? And what if I say that I would like to check your house?” Rhys snaps in return and my eyes widen once more. “She and I have some business to discuss.”

Fear crawls over my spine as I realise how much I am dreading having a conversation with him. I’m not even interested in looking at him right now. Especially not while I’m pregnant with my firstborn and planning to divorce him.

“You are not entering my home.” Leo stands his ground.

And that is when I hear the sound of glass breaking and the unmistakable sound of Leo’s g***n as my eyes widen and I realise that it is time to go outside now.

I will not have Rhys taking away my best friend from me.

I slowly open the door, grateful that there is no creaking sound catching Rhys’ position as I slowly step out of the room and walk out the small nook before entering the living area where Rhys is currently pressing Leo against the fireplace mantle with his gun’s barrel pressed into Leo’s throat.

Pure horror settles inside me as I quicken my steps, knowing well enough that Rhys cannot be trusted.

Leo’s eyes widen the moment he sees me and he tries to struggle more as I approach Rhys and place my shaking and shivering hand on his shoulder.

However, what comes next is something I am most definitely not prepared for.

His body twists back towards me and in his maddened rage, he grabs hold of my neck and I gasp when the cold metal of the barrel of the gun gets pressed against my torso.

My eyes widen as I find myself staring into the eyes of a monster and all I can feel is his gun pressed too close to where my child is.

⚜️⚜️⚜️

Rhys

I always knew Leo is going to die by my hand one day but I never knew that it was going to happen so soon.

But that isn’t what happens. Not at all.

My gun is pressed against his neck and my arm is keeping him still one moment and then a hand comes against my shoulder and all my instincts and years of training kicks in and I am strangling the person while pressing the barrel of my gun against their torso.

And sadly, it takes me a moment to realise that I am actually strangling Arabella, my wife who has her eyes filled with tears and pure, blinding fear as she claws at my hand.

“Please don’t kill me…” she croaks out and not even the news articles that I have read on the ride here could have been as painful as what she has just said.

I immediately leave her and Leo, like a f*****g messiah, swoops in and takes her in his arms as she coughs a few times while he wipes away his tears.

“F**k…” I mutter under my breath as I run a hand through my hair because of the piercing regret of what I have just done.

“Are you out of your f*****g mind?” Leo is the one who screams this time and I don’t even have the energy to respond to him right now because the sheer realisation of what I was about to do is a thrashing slap to my face.

“Please don’t instigate him further.” Arabella says in such a meek voice that my eyes widen and I snap my head to look at her. And when I find fear, mistrust, and pure vulnerability in her eyes, I realise that she is actually scared of me.

So much so that when our eyes meet, she looks away and even slightly hides herself behind Leo who stands in front of her, making a complete show of his protectiveness.

That is when I let out a sarcastic chuckle and shaking my head, I say to her, “so it’s true then.” I mutter, “you do wish to leave me. Is it for the same man you were so disgusted by just last night? Or were you lying about that too and just acting really well?”

Arabella sharply meet’s my eyes, “what did you just say?” She hisses. “I’m not the one who should be giving explanations on lying in this marriage, Rhys.”

“Are you having an affair with him?” I question, ignoring her statement. Right now her answer is all that matters.

Something like pain and suffering flashes across her face before she pushes all her emotions away and turns her expressions completely void of any warmth whatsoever.

And then, she says the one thing that I don’t wish to hear—

“Yes. I want a divorce from you.”

And that is all I need to hear before I am turning on my heel and walking out of the apartment.

“Where the f**k have you been since last night?” I snap at Jordan the moment I enter the courtyard at Tartarus and find him lounging by the bar.

He abruptly stands up when he sees me and stutters, “sir, I had to take an afternoon off for my niece’s appointment, remember? Why, is something wrong?”

“Did you drop Arabella to Leo’s place last night?” I question and he nods. “Tell me exactly what happened last night and in chronological order of things.”

I mentally prepare myself to be proven right about her.

I know I’m right.