(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

In the evening, Axel came to the penthouse with his nanny and also his personal driver. The couple, Gerald and Ariana, declared that they would stay in the penthouse and would not return to Zeroun’s residence until Gerald allowed it. Gerald also hired the services of two completely new house assistants, not people he took from Zeroun’s residence. Ariana was initially confused why there was no Vivan or Yosef or other house assistants who had previously worked at Zeroun’s residence. However, she didn’t dare to ask her husband.

Ariana spent her time with Axel. The boy repeatedly asked Ariana if she would leave him again or not, or if Ariana would stay in the apartment and leave him with Gerald or not. Ariana promised Axel while looking at her husband that she would not leave the two of them no matter what happened. It took quite a long time to make Axel believe. The boy’s questions had to stop when he fell asleep, of course, with Ariana by his side. Because once again, Axel was afraid Ariana would leave him.

“So, Axel meets you when you’re gone?” Gerald asked after Axel fell asleep. They slept in the main bedroom of the penthouse, with Axel peacefully asleep between them.

Ariana nodded. “Grandma often brings him. Whether it’s to the apartment or a restaurant. Axel often spends time with me and only goes back to Zeroun’s residence in the evening or when we know you’re also back,” Ariana replied honestly.

Gerald snorted. Once again, he felt deceived. So why had he been paying someone to follow Ariana if his hired person didn’t tell him the truth? Should he choke that person? he wondered in his mind. But then he turned, looking at his wife who was observing Axel carefully. A warm feeling rushed through his heart. Oh God, how much he loved the two people beside him. Gerald truly couldn’t bear to lose either of them. Could he be greedy? he wondered in his heart.

Ariana woke up in the middle of the night due to her natural needs. It’s true what people say, pregnant women often need to urinate. And that’s what Ariana needed to do right now.

She opened her eyes and saw Axel’s side empty. Ariana was instantly alarmed. Where was Gerald? Where had her husband gone in the middle of the night like this? Ariana then sat up from her bed and was quite surprised to see her husband sitting on the prayer rug with both hands raised. He was praying with a voice so faint that Ariana couldn’t even hear it. Ariana, who had initially intended to put her feet on the floor, suddenly changed her mind. She could hold it for a little longer.

She stared at her husband’s back. She couldn’t see his face, but the light from the balcony was enough for her to gaze at her husband’s body, which now seemed to be trembling. Was Gerald crying? she wondered in her heart. She narrowed her eyes, focusing her gaze on her husband. And indeed, her husband seemed to be crying softly.

“Gerald?” Ariana called out. The man seemed to freeze for a moment. His back straightened. And quickly, he wiped his face. He cleared his throat before answering Ariana’s call.

“Yes?” Gerald turned around. He looked at his wife. The man crawled closer and stopped when he was near Ariana. He lifted his head, and although Ariana couldn’t clearly see his face and eyes, she knew Gerald had just cried. “Do you need something?” he asked, curious.

Ariana shook her head. Her hand reached out and touched Gerald’s face. “Are you crying?” she asked softly.

Gerald raised his hand and cupped his wife’s hands that were holding his face. “No, I’m not crying,” he replied with a smile appearing on his face.

“Tell me, why?” Ariana asked. She doubted her husband wasn’t crying. Besides his hoarse voice, Ariana could feel her husband’s face was damp.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“It’s nothing,” Gerald replied again. “I just finished talking to my God. Asking for forgiveness because I’ve been neglectful lately,” he said honestly. He didn’t want to tell Ariana that he had prayed to his Lord for her healing and the safety of her and the baby inside her. “I fell back into drinking when you left me. I’m ashamed, and I admit it,” he said honestly. Yes, he did apologize to the Owner of Life for all the mistakes and transgressions he had made lately.

He was ashamed, very ashamed before the Owner of Life because he had redirected his pain to alcohol. Neglecting his duty to prostrate. He was ashamed for not asking for His help from the beginning. And Ariana’s return, the woman who was the beginning of his return to his Lord, made him prostrate again. Grateful. And then ask.

Ariana smiled and stroked her husband’s face with both her hands. Without saying much, the woman kissed her husband’s forehead.

“Where are you going?” Gerald asked when Ariana got up from her seat. “I have to go to the bathroom,” Ariana replied softly. Gerald stood up too, trying to help his wife to the bathroom, but Ariana refused him. “I can go by myself, dear,” she said gently.

Gerald was stunned. He looked at his wife in disbelief. Disbelieving his own ears, actually. “What did you say?” he asked unsurely.

Ariana just shook her head and walked to the bathroom inside their room.

*****

The days that followed for Ariana could be described as monotonous. If before Gerald knew about her pregnancy, she could still go to the restaurant. Now she couldn’t anymore. Gerald truly imprisoned Ariana, not allowing her to go anywhere if he wasn’t with her. Gerald preferred if Ariana invited people from the restaurant to their residence rather than letting her go out and tire herself on a journey that couldn’t be considered close.

“I’d rather have this place filled with your friends than my heart being troubled worrying about your condition,” he said one time when Ariana asked for permission to go to the restaurant.

“But I still have to supervise the restaurant,” Ariana complained to her husband. But Gerald replied with a shake of his head.

“There’s still Amber and Jody taking care of everything. What’s the point of you supervising them if they can’t handle the job?” Gerald replied curtly. Ariana only answered his words with a scoff. Because of her irritation, she left Gerald and chose to shut herself in her room. Ariana also couldn’t blame Gerald. The man also sacrificed for her by moving his workplace to their residence. He preferred to ask the employees he trusted to come to the penthouse back and forth and only went out if there was a meeting he couldn’t leave or couldn’t do virtually.

Gerald stepped into the room without knocking. Ariana, who was sitting on the Strandmon sofa that Gerald had repositioned to face their bedroom balcony some time ago, looked up. The man walked closer and then pulled the Strandmon footstool, the sofa that accompanied Ariana, and sat next to the woman. His large hand reached out to hold Ariana’s hand, and he deliberately rested his head on Ariana’s shoulder.

“I feel like a house prisoner,” Ariana complained softly

.

Gerald tensed. He knew he had been excessive with his wife. But no matter what, the fear of seeing his wife faint again was greater than facing her anger.

“I’m sorry,” Gerald said weakly. “You know very well what I’m afraid of,” he said afterward.

“But I’m not an invalid, Gerald. I need to move too. I need to breathe different air than the one in this room,” Ariana replied. “I like meeting my customers. I like seeing how my restaurant operates. I like all the chaos in the kitchen and smelling the aromas of spices wafting in the air,” she continued, her gaze fixed on Gerald. “It’s not about Amber or Jody being able to control the restaurant or not. But it’s about me and the comfort I need,” she said with a pleading tone. “Besides, I’m aware of my condition. I haven’t been to the kitchen to cook since I found out about my pregnancy. If you don’t believe me, you can ask everyone in the restaurant. They won’t lie to you,” she said passionately.

Gerald took a deep breath and looked at his wife, who was now silent with teary eyes. He had hurt his wife unintentionally. Something he thought was good and safe turned out to be discomfort for Ariana. “Alright,” he said finally. Ariana then looked up, gazing at her husband and asking him to repeat his decision. “We’ll go to the restaurant,” he said afterward. A cheerful smile instantly appeared on Ariana’s face. The woman hugged her husband tightly as a sign of happiness and gratitude.

“I’ll get ready,” she said, answered by Gerald’s nod.