The Borrowed Bride [PUBLISHED]

Chapter 5: The Engagement Ring

Marriage is a three ring circus – engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering.

-Anonymous

Leila Fiorenza's POV

I went to the bedroom I shared with Leandro for almost two months as I puffed an angry sigh. I threw myself in the bed and stared at the high ceiling of the master's bedroom. Nothing had changed in this room since the last time I saw it, I noted silently.

I need to plan my next move now. I couldn't let my ex-lover rile me with his signature arrogance. I'm Leila Fiorenza the Sicilian tabloid didn't give me the name of 'rebellious heiress' for nothing.

I fished out my mobile phone from my pocket and dialed my twin sister's number. After a few rings, she finally answered. "Laila, it's me."

"Leila!" My twin sister exclaimed on the other line. "Can you tell me what's going on? Because your engagement ring is in my hand right this moment, sis. The housekeeper of that count gave it to me while having lunch with my husband and his friends."

I sighed again as I rub my forehead. "That's why I want to talk to you. Leandro told me—no scratch that—he announced arrogantly that we're getting married and my engagement to Rafe was off."

"What?"

My sentiment is exactly when he declared it a while ago. I didn't know that I would become tangled with this kind of situation when I first started my affair with him months ago. I didn't regret it but...oh God, my eyes misted with tears. Blame my pregnancy hormones for it because I am not the type of woman who cries. The last time I cried was at our mother's funeral two decades ago.

"Are you still there, Leila?" My twin sister dragged me out of my reverie.

"Yes," I dragged myself to the present time. I need to focus and plan my next move here carefully. I might want also to acquire some sane advice from my levelheaded twin sister because she was never been impulsive unlike me.

"So what is your next move now?" Laila asked warily on the other line. "Are you going to marry him? I know he is your baby's father and it's only a logical thing to marry him to give my niece or nephew a good home but what about Rafe?"

I stared at the ceiling sightlessly as I lay on the huge bed. "I don't know what to do, Laila. My mind is a complete mess right now."

I heard my twin sister laughed heartily on the other line. "Not that I can blame you, sis. I know you are attracted to him with that sinfully handsome face and his title to go with that looks...oh my goodness."

"Excuse me, Kyria Pallis." I heard my brother-in-law asked my twin sister coldly in the background. "Can you repeat what you have just said? Because I think I didn't hear you right."

"Oh, you don't have to be jealous about it, Nikos," Laila said to her husband with laughter in her voice. "It was only an innocent observation from a woman who has eyes, darling. We can't deny that a Spanish count is a handsome man."

"Married woman, Laila..." My brother-in-law reminded her firmly. I also heard that sarcastic devil that didn't stop annoying me and his friends throughout the journey from the airstrip to this villa commented again but I couldn't catch what he says clearly. "...or you already forget about it because of his sinfully handsome looks?"

I have enough of their conversation about her husband's jealously it's time to be back on the main issue here. "You two can quarrel about it all you want later but you have to help me first here, sis."

"Oh, right. Sorry." Laila said, focusing her attention back on me again. "I get sidetrack, where are we again, sis?"

I took a deep breath and finally managed to remove myself from the bed. I walked and stood beside the window as I look outside. "What shall I say to Rafe? I mean, we're supposed to get married tomorrow everything is already set back in Sicily, and now..."