Chapter 3

The words coming from Dominic's mouth were not something Belladonna could argue with. She didn't want the marriage either, but for the sake of repaying the Marino family, she had to sacrifice her life. She knew it was pointless to say that to him because there was no way that he would listen to her explanation.

“Now take off that dress because you are not worthy of it and take your fucking suitcase out of here!” Dominic kicked the suitcase hard, sending it crashing to the floor.

“Where am I supposed to sleep?” The question slipped from her lips, causing him to stop in his tracks.

Dominic spun around, glaring at her. From the moment Belladonna replaced Bianca, her life would take a turn for the worse because he would make her go through hell for as long as it took for Bianca to come back.

He strode over to Belladonna and grabbed her arm. He brutally dragged her over to the door. Dominic totally couldn't care less when she begged him not to pull her like that.

“Helena!” Dominic shouted, calling someone.

Soon after, a maid came rushing over. “You called me, Sir?

“Take her to the warehouse. From now on, she will stay there!” Dominic pushed Belladonna until she was out of his room.

The maid looked bewildered by her master's orders. Had she heard him correctly? She looked at Belladonna, then turned to Dominic.

“Why are you just standing there? Take her to the warehouse because she will be living there from now on!”

“But... Sir?”

“Don't you dare disobey my orders, Helena! Are you having second thoughts because she's wearing a wedding dress? Just so you know, she's not the bride I wanted. So don't ever treat her as the lady of this house. Because she's not worthy at all!"

Belladonna looked down as the maid looked at her again. She was ashamed, to be frank. Dominic showed his hostility towards her openly and blatantly.

“What are you waiting for, Helena?” he began to get impatient because she didn't move right away.

“Yes, Sir. I will take her according to your orders,” she said, bowing her head. It was better not to get involved if she wanted to keep working there.

“Go!” Dominic ordered Belladonna.

“Come with me, Miss,” Helena said, and Belladonna nodded. She didn't want to argue with Dominic. It was better to obey than to get into trouble.

She was about to leave, but Dominic asked her to wait a moment. He then went back into the room, and shortly after, he appeared again holding her suitcase.

“From now on, the warehouse is your place,” Dominic said as he threw out her suitcase. “Don’t you dare move to another place, let alone enter my room, cause I’m not willing to sleep with you. Just because I married you does not mean you will become the lady of this house. If you dare to break my orders, I will throw you out into the dog house!”

It wasn't just an empty threat; he would do it if she dared to go against him.

Belladonna smiled faintly, not feeling hurt by his words because she was not the bride he wanted in the first place. She knew her place and would try to stick it out until her role was over.

“Come with me, Miss,” said the maid named Helena after Belladonna picked up her suitcase.

Dominic watched Belladonna leave, wondering why he despised her so much. Was it because Bianca refused to marry him, or was it because Belladonna was willing to take her place?

What if Belladonna had something up her sleeve? She might have her own agenda. That's why she was willing to replace Bianca, and what if Bianca's disappearance was caused by her? Suddenly, he was suspicious that Belladonna was the mastermind behind Bianca's disappearance and that pursuing a career was just an excuse.

Anything could have happened. But whatever the reason, Belladonna is just a replacement bride. She won't get any special treatment, because all he wants is Bianca.

He will find out whether his suspicions are true or not, that Bianca's disappearance has something to do with Belladonna. If his suspicions are true, then he will make Belladonna's life a living hell.

*****

Bianca would rather focus on her career than marry Dominic. She's at the top of her glory, where her career is skyrocketing, so she doesn't want her life to end up as just Dominic's wife.

She knows that if she gets married, her modeling career will be buried for sure, because a power-hungry man like Dominic will definitely not let her pursue her career. Besides, she didn't like him because she already had a boyfriend, and she knew that Dominic saw her as a way to pay off his debts.

If her family were not in debt to him, he would never have targeted her. She did not want to sacrifice herself to pay off his debts. She would rather pursue her career than spend her life with a dangerous man like Dominic.

She wondered what would happen after she left. Her father and mother might be disappointed in her. But she didn't want to sacrifice herself either. Bianca plucked up the courage to contact her mother. The wedding might have been canceled, or it might not have been, because Belladonna could have replaced her. 

Indeed, it was she who urged her mother to sacrifice Belladonna as ransom for their family's debts. The whole thing was her idea.

“Mom...” Hearing her daughter's voice, Veronica was so delighted.

“Bianca, how have you been?”

“I'm good, Mom. I'm taking a break and will have to go back to work soon. I might not always be in touch with you since I'm busy. I'm also afraid that Dominic will find out where I am and chase after me for refusing to marry him."

“You don't need to worry, Bianca. Bella has replaced you to marry him.”

“Really?”

"Yes, wasn't that your idea and what you wanted? Besides, she's not part of our family, so it's natural for her to replace you in marrying Dominic. However, you should know that he still wants you."

“What do you mean, Mom?” She became anxious upon hearing her mother's words.

“In order for the wedding to proceed, I had to lie to Dominic and tell him that you were only leaving to pursue your career and would return when you were ready to marry him.”

“What? Why did you say that? I don't want to marry him, ever. I never have. But why did you say that?”

"I had no choice, Bianca. If I hadn't said that, Dominic wouldn't have married Bella. You know what would happen if the wedding were called off. We'd all be homeless, and our family business would be ruined. I had to lie to him by saying you would come back once you were ready to marry him!”  

“But I don’t want to marry him, Mom. Everyone knows that man is a heartless bastard. He has many women and can sleep with anyone he wants. I don’t want to spend my life as his wife. That’s why I’m leaving. But why did you say I would come back to be his wife?” 

Bloody hell, her mother was giving Dominic hope, she grumbled to herself.

“I told you, I had no choice but to lie to him so he would marry your sister!”

“No way. You're giving him hope. I don't want to marry him even if I come back. Then you have to make Dominic stop wanting me, Mom.”

“How, Bianca? We're on the losing side. What should I do to make that man not want you anymore?”

Bianca seemed to be thinking. It seemed that she couldn't breathe freely, even though Belladonna had replaced her. Frankly, she did not feel flattered or happy at all just because she was wanted by a man as powerful as Dominic Costa.

“It seems there's no other choice but to ask Bella to bear his child,” she stated.

“What do you mean?”

“Tell Bella she must bear Dominic's child. With that child, maybe Dominic will no longer seek me. So, you must tell her to bear his child immediately, Mom.”