Bride for Sale

Chapter 5

Maria was getting back to her place with his driver. It was the first time she was intrigued by a man. His focus, and obsession about his goals were something. That man was as twisted as he was simple. No wonder he had become successful in such a short time. It takes generations to make the kind of wealth and contacts he had amassed. It was the first time she was getting back from a date and didn't feel bad about herself. He treated her right. He was better than any of her dates in the past. It was a shame it didn't go well. In only a half-hour drive she had imagined herself being his wife. Making his holiday worthy of him. She groaned a little leaning into her seat. She knew she had to stop thinking about him. There was no future with him.

She wished she could say yes but the divorce term was such a disgrace to accept. She wanted someone who would give her a chance at something real. But the moment her car pulled in front of her home she rolled her eyes. Though it was the first time someone had proposed such a condition she knew her dad wasn't going to see any problem with it. And, it was going to be a long discussion with her dad. And, for turning down this she was going to have an ear full from her dad for a month or as long as he doesn't get an investor.

Maria walked in but got slower in her movements the moment she looked at the broken vase on the floor. Two huge bulky men appeared in front of her and she gasped stepping aside. They stared at her momentarily before they left speaking something in French.

"Dad?" She walked in to notice a disaster in their living area. Daphne seemed flustered and her dad was on the ground groaning. "Dad!" Maria was the first one to hold her dad's arm. His lip was busted and eye was black. "How could you!" Daphne shouted and Maria looked at Daphne in surprise. "What's wrong with you? Look at Dad?"

"What's wrong with me? He had risked gambling with wrong people. And, they are in our home threatening us with their men? This is wrong with me! My sons were put in danger by the man I chose to trust. This is what happened you bitch! And, it's all because of your father!"

Maria looked at her father but he was still trying to figure out his jaw. Maria gave him the balance to stand up and asked, "Are you ok?"

"Are you for real? How can you care about him after knowing he has put you on sale..." But before Maria could listen to what Daphne had to say her father asked,

"Tell me it worked with Mr. Bianchi Maria? Please, tell me you cracked it."

"Dad?" Maria mumbled,

"You are not for real. These are dangerous people. They are going to kill us." Her dad told her.

"What?" Maria couldn't understand the situation.

"What went wrong! What went wrong with Emilio? Tell me? You always have an excuse. What is it this time?" Maria knew she couldn't talk to her dad right now. This situation wasn't ideal for her to make her dad understand her reason. She couldn't explain what she was thinking. "He wanted a contract marriage, dad. He had some conditions."

"Was he marrying you? What conditions? How hard those conditions were? Tell me already. Why aren't you speaking?"

"He want this marriage as long as his grandparents are alive. He will give a divorce with eighty million dollars after their demise."

"What? But will he give the twenty millions I asked for my company...." Her dad inquired.

"Yea, but..."

"Then what? What other conditions that can't be worked around."

"There..." Maria got extremely cornered. "...Just this. There were no other conditions."

"So, why it didn't work out?"

"Because I don't want to get into a marriage with a pre-set divorce date." Her father looked at her for a moment. "Are you stupid? Do you have the slightest of an idea about how much you can do with eighty million dollars? Maria!..."