His Perfect Wife Strikes Back

199 Farewell

"Why do you always have to decide before you tell me?" Frade asked, smoking hard on the couch. "Didn't I tell you to consult me before you made any decisions?"

"Because this time there is no room for negotiation." I stood in front of him, looking at him like that. My heart felt extremely painful. But I had to tell him about my decision. We have to face the truth eventually.

"Mia was dead."

Frade's face froze for a few seconds. "She's dead?"

"She escaped from the sanatorium, frantically searching for her father and questioning him as to why he had abandoned her. Mickle's bodyguard shot her for endangering the president. It happened right in front of me."

I have mixed feelings about Mia's death. Even though she was detestable, her death was like a razor blade slicing through my unsuspecting skin. It was instant, clear pain.

Frade continued to smoke heavily. He didn't show much emotion about Mia's death. But I guess he felt the same way.

He was in love with Mia. Her love was fake, but his love for Mia was real.

"I hate to say goodbye," he cursed under his breath.

"Me too," I said calmly. "I think you'd better set a time to return to Italy as soon as possible. Vickie's body can't stay in the hospital morgue. Her dying wish is to return to her hometown."

She wanted to go back to the land of lemon blossoms. She wanted to be that 16-year-old girl.

"I'll set the time," Frade fumed as he put out his cigarette in the ashtray.

"Come on, honey." I sighed and went to him. "Emma needs you. Our parting is temporary. I'm sure we'll be together soon."

"When?" Frade asked bitterly, "Do you think Mickle will let you go so easily? He's going to keep using you, and maybe he'll even arrange a new marriage for you. I am well aware that politicians often use marriage as a way to secure their political position. Hell, we should just get married."

"I will not let anyone control my life," I said. "You are the only one in my heart."

"Eva!" Frade hugged me, his head down and kissed my lips. His kiss was as overbearing and direct as ever. This time I went along with them. He didn't let go until I was out of breath.

"Come with me!" Frade said. "I can't bear to be away from you. Emma needs her mother, too."

"I have to stay," I told him honestly. "This is my deal with Mickle. He knows I've lost my bargaining chip."

"Damn Daley!" Frade snapped. "You should have let me shoot him in the head!"

"Stop talking about him." I didn't want to think about him, who might even be Emma's biological father.

"You'd better decide when you're leaving," I said. "The sooner the better."

"I just want to cherish every moment I have with you until I decide on a time."

He slid the sling of my dress down with his hand. I wasn't wearing any underwear. I obliged him by undoing his belt and zipping his pants down.

He put one hand under my skirt and hooked his finger around my underwear to tug at it. I sat on his lap and his p.enis went straight into me.

No foreplay, just naked s.ex. We were crazy as two horny beasts. Over and over again, with each orgasm, I felt as if I were floating on a cloud.

We hardly left the room from dawn to dark. Until we were all in bed exhausted, we were all laughing at our crazy behaviour.

If you can't change the facts, why not use your last moments to go crazy?

We go clubbing like first lovers. We went to the hotel where we had met, and we relived our first encounter from memory, and we told each other stories. We said a lot of things we wanted to say but never said before, from the initial chatter to silence.

Looking back, we have been through so much. And here we are. We can't get back the time we lost, and all we can do is cherish what is right in front of us.

"I love you, Eva!" Said Frade.

"I love you too, Frade!"

We lay on the balcony looking up at the stars, and we hugged each other. When the first light tore open the night sky, we knew it was time to part!

At the airport, my baby was lying in her stroller. She was wearing a pure white frock-sleeve dress, wide-eyed and curious to see all around.

I unfastened her seatbelt and carefully lifted her out of the stroller. Her tiny head rested on my shoulder, and I pressed my face against her smooth, warm skin.

"We'll meet again, my darling," I whispered, as I sang each night before bed.

"I'll take good care of Emma," Liv said beside me. "I'm sure she's as strong as her mother."

As Emma's godmother, Liv felt it her duty to escort her to Italy. She promised me that she would stay with Emma in Italy for a while until she was fully adapted to life there.

I'm grateful for Liv's decision. Frade stepped out of the plane and walked slowly over to us.

"It's time to go," he told us.

I finally kissed Emma on the pink cheek and reluctantly handed her over to Liv. As Liv took over, Emma's hand accidentally grabbed my hair. She tugged at it and wouldn't let go.

"Get her out of here." I grabbed her little hand. A few strands of hair were caught in her clenched fists.

"Goodbye, Eva," Liv said, carrying Emma toward the plane.

"I'm leaving, honey." Frade's green eyes were filled with sadness.

"I will miss you." I turned away from their departing figures.

It wasn't until I saw the plane take off in front of my eyes that my tears began to pour out of my eyes like a waterfall. My heart froze. My breath felt constricted.

It was the sun that hurt my eyes, I said to myself.

A black business car was offered to me , and I quickly wiped the tears from my cheeks with my hands. Ian got out of the car and hesitated for two seconds before telling me.

"Are you ready to go to Mexico, Eva?"

"Yes." My voice was as heartless as the winter wind.