Forced Marriage To The Psychotic Billionaire ( Book 2)

Chapter 43: The Arrival

As the dark clouds parted ways to streams of light, the birds came out to play. They flew around the sky, chirping heartily. Tired of laying on the hospital bed, Lorena strolled through the garden.

The smell of antiseptic wafted through the hospital corridors, mixing with the scent of the blooming flowers. She took a deep breath as her bare feet tingled from the caress of the grasses.

Just last night, her father and Verona had seen her. Her dad was more interested in the fact that she had lied about her pregnancy than anything else. When she mentioned her plans to leave Markris's house, he blatantly told her not to return home.

The thought of those words alone made her scoff aloud. Like she wanted to return to Paolo Cicero's house, she realized it was time to take her life into her hands. Her dad would never change, and she was honestly done with caring about anything anyone said.

As she moved through the garden, she sighted a sculpture that fascinated her and decided to check it out. It was a carving of a large woman with the word 'earth' spelled boldly on her palm.

"Mother Earth?" Her voice filtered through the isolated space. "Yeah, literally mother earth." She said and burst into a feat of laughter. The rich sound reverberated through the garden, her voice on par with the singing birds.

"Lorena?" She whipped her head around at the sound of her name. Soon as her eyes landed on the source her name came from, she froze. "Is that you, Lorena?" He said, coming closer to her.

Her trembling hands instantly went to her lips, her eyes widening. With every step he took, he drew even nearer to her. When he finally got to her, she had grown pale. It was almost like she was seeing a ghost. She blinked over and over again.

Closing her eyes, she thought it was just a dream, but when she opened it again, he stood there. He stood there with that signature smile on his perfect face. "Mar-ci?" Her voice came out a breathless stutter.

His smile widened even more profoundly, showing his dimples. "It's you." He said m, reaching for a hug.

She flew into his arms as he squeezed her into a tight hug. Those broad shoulders came from the struggles of survival. The hardness of his body came from toiling the earth. She inhaled deeply, drinking in his scent. His woody smell filled her nostrils, giving her a dizzying effect.

When he finally pulled her back to stare at her, she couldn't help the tears that formed in her eyes. "Marci." She said again. This time, her voice was clear and steady.

"Belle." He chuckled, releasing her hands.

They walked to the bench ahead and sat side by side. "What are you doing here?" She jumped straight into the questions. Marcelo was the last person she thought she would ever see again. She was glad her thoughts had been wrong.

"Straight to the point, I see," He laughed, and she welcomed the familiarity. "Well, I came here for some humanitarian service. I partnered with a foundation, and we volunteer our services to hospitals." He said.

She wished she was surprised by his answer, but it was Marcelo, after all. The guy with a big heart. The guy who always put everyone before him. However, there were some things slightly different about him. His speech was more refined. His dressing more formal. Even the way he styled his blonde hair was different.

"You've changed," She said, giving him a once over. "Not the heart, but the appearance." She smiled, quickly correcting any misconception.

"Isn't that what life is about, sweet Lorena? Constantly changing and evolving. Loot at you now, for example. What has it been a year? Last I heard your name in the news. You were running away from your wedding. Then a gossip blog your dad ran said you were still married to him. Your life is full of adventures, right?" He asked, his eyes hooded. Sadness sipped through his voice, and she couldn't help but notice it.