Mafia Billionaire’s Forlorn Wife
Chapter 51

|Flashback, Rhys’ Age: 7 Years Old|

Long weeds caress my calves as I dash through the grass that almost reaches to my head.

Currently, we are all in the chateau that dad owns in Montana and right now, I have a housekeeper running behind me, trying to get me to stop.

But that isn’t happening today.

At least not until my eyes widen larger than that saucer that mom sometimes picks up when she’s standing in the kitchen with Frida.

Right in front of my eyes, is a patch of bald soil that is devoid of any tall grass or anything and right in the middle of it is the most beautiful crystal I have ever seen.

Bright and blue, I reach out and pick it up knowing that mother really does like crystals and she will probably want to wear this one to the party that is happening tonight.

“Finally you’ve stopped, little master.” Vernon says from behind me and I simply giggle and reach out to pick up the crystal.

“I’m going to show this to mom.” And saying that, I start running again, and this time, towards the chateau instead of in the opposite direction of it.

“Oh, f**k!” Vernon swears as he starts running behind me again. He does use this vocabulary sometimes, thinking that I’m not listening, but then again, I’m seven, not stupid.

I rush into the chateau and climb up the stairs, taking two at a time, with the crystal still clutched in my hand as I hurry to show it to my mother who has been in an awful mood lately.

Maybe this will make her smile.

I even hear her and my father’s voices coming from their bedroom the moment I enter their wing and my steps quicken and the smile on my lips spreads furthermore with the excitement.

“…what do you want me to do? Look after that reckless boy while you’re out with your skanks?” My mom says and I slow down slightly, confused about what her words mean.

I’m still not familiar with a lot of words that adults use around me, but that’s okay, I’ll learn.

“He’s your son too, Aurelia!” My father’s voice booms and that confuses me further because he is always such a kind and soft spoken man when he talks to me.

“He’s just a burden!” Now that, I understand…along with the fact that my mother is, in fact, talking about me.

My heart pinches slightly as the smile on my lips start turning into a small frown when I enter their room.

“Mom?” I call out and find them both standing near the bed, facing each other with a furious expressions on their faces.

My father’s head snaps towards me and I see his eyes widen but I make a beeline for my mother instead.

“Oh, great, your mutt is here.” My mother mutters in such a vicious and crude manner that it confuses me further.

Did I do something to upset her?

“Don’t talk to him like that!” My father snaps at her.

She scoffs and looks away but as I approach her, instead of taking me in her arms like dad always does, she rolls her eyes and steps away.

“I brought you something to use in your jewellery, mother.” I say, addressing her in the slightly formal manner that she always asks me to use. However, stretching my palm towards her, I show her the beautiful crystal, hoping that it would make her happy.

She looks at it and then slaps my hand in such a harsh manner that the crystal goes flying away from my hand, disappearing somewhere in their room.

My hand stings slightly but tears pool in my eyes as she mutters—

“As if I would ever wear something that common.”

And with that, mother storms out of the room, leaving me with dad.

Shakily, I look up towards him and find the same expression on his face that he always has whenever mother says or does something similar to this.

“She hates me.” I whisper, picking up on the situation, realising that perhaps I have done something terrible to hurt her somehow.

My dad immediately shakes his head before he bends down and picks me in his arms, “that’s not true. No one can ever hate you, Rhys.” He says the same thing he always does. “It’s me she’s mad at.”

I furrow my brows in confusion, “why?”

He sighs, shaking his head, he says, “sometimes when adults are careless, they end up hurting the ones they love.”

I don’t understand him fully, however, I still say, “shouldn’t they be more careful then?”

He smiles, “you’ll know when you’re older.”

I nod my head slowly, understanding him as he starts taking me out of their room.

“Come on, do you want to eat the madeleines that Frida just baked?” He asks, “they’re lemon buttercream coated too, just like you like it.” He tells me while poking me gently in my stomach.

I giggle, “okay, let’s go do that. Then will you teach me how to shoot a gun?” I ask in a fascinated manner.

I have always admired my father’s collection of guns and even though there is only little that I know or understand about them, I still wish to learn from him some day.

He chuckles, “you’re too young for that just yet,” he tells me and when I pout, he adds, “but I just procured a new one, and I will give you a demonstration of that.”

That brings the largest smile on my lips again, the whole debacle with mother is already pushed to the back of my head as I instantly nod and say, “yes, let’s do that!”

And just like that, my mood is all better again.

|End of Flashback|

“I ASKED YOU TO FIND CHRISTOPHER YOUNG! WHERE THE f**k IS HE?” My throat is burning from the sensation of suppressing my true emotions and showcasing them in the form of my anger.

At the moment, I am standing in front of Viktor, in the middle of my office in the city while Nikolas is currently on call in the balcony, getting our team of hackers to access every camera in the city to find anyone that matches Arabella, Amelia, or Christopher’s face.

Victor nods his head, “I understand sir, I’m sorry for the delay but it’s like these two have completely disappeared from the face of this planet. It is actually very tough to find them all.”

That is when all patience inside me breaks and I dash forward and grab his collar in tight fists, “I don’t care if you have to sell your f*****g house, your life, your family…hell, even your own self. I want Christopher Young and Amelia Clark found and I want my wife back by my side.” I hiss in his face before roughly leaving him and he manages to catch himself upright so that he doesn’t fall.

Rubbing his hand against his throat, he nods and leaves the office, knowing well enough that if he comes to me one more time and if he comes empty handed, then I am for sure going to show him fates worse than death.

My mind is spinning with fear and despair and guilt and every form of ugly emotion that is present on this planet.

I was such a f*****g fool.

I kept following everything that Amelia said and I kept neglecting Arabella all in the name of seeming strong and careless because I wanted revenge.

I did all that to the woman who has only ever loved me with all her heart, deep enough to go against her very powerful family.

She trusted me to keep her safe and now, she’s gone and I have no one else to blame but myself.

Amelia f*****g took her from me and if even a single hair on Arabella’s head is harmed because of that, I am going to give Amelia the most prolific and prolonged death imaginable to mankind.

She’s pregnant…

My throat clogs up at the memory as I realise all the things that I have done to my wife. The woman who was supposed to be treated like my queen.

She’s carrying my child inside of her and I—

Oh f**k, I pointed a gun straight at her torso while I was in Leo’s apartment.

My heart shudders to a stop for a second as I loose the strength in my knees and almost stumble before dropping down on the leather couch under the weight of my sins.

That was the reason why she was so scared of me.

The reason why she just accepted that she was cheating on me with Christopher when in reality, she was being framed for everything all along.

And now that same, vile and vicious man has her in his grip and I have no one to blame except for myself.

F**k…

If something happens to her or the baby…

My baby…

My wife…

No.

I shake my head before running my fingers through my already messed up hair as even the single shirt that I am wearing begins to feel too heavy on my skin.

Panic rises in my chest as my forehead beads up with sweat and I try my best to not think about all these terrible scenarios.

I have to find Arabella.

I have to bring her back home and keep her safe and happy.

And right in the middle of my thoughts, my door opens and Jeremiah pops in.

“Sir, Mr. James is here…” he says and anger I furrow my brows in confusion.

“What the f**k does he want?” I snap.

Jeremiah gulps, “he says he has information regarding Mrs. Mikhailov’s whereabouts. And he’s willing to share that information but at the price of you allowing him to have business in the States again.”

James was ran out of town because of me because he was one of the major strengths that Dominico had. Allowing him to have business in this country again would mean giving Dominico his power back.

However, right in this moment, there is nothing more important than finding my wife and if the cost of that is dealing with the slimy bastard who likes to call himself the uncrowned prince of England, then I am willing to pay even that.

There is no second thought as I say, “send him in.”

And a few seconds later, the bastard himself is standing near the door of my office as he regards me with a cool stare.

“Are you willing to make the deal?” He asks.

“Where is my wife?”

“I will only tell you if you give me what I want.”

“Where is my wife?” I ask again, getting more annoyed by the second.

“You let me start my business here again and—”

“Where is my wife?”

“You really do care about her, don’t you?” He asks with a surprised blink.

I clench my fists, “I will not ask again, James. You can have your business back.” I say through my teeth, “now, where the f**k is my wife?”

He smirks, “Park Street Motel, just outside downtown. Room 009.”

And that is all I need to know before I spring into action.