Blind Billionaire Bride

CHICAGO, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A pounding pain from her arm woke her up. She observed the surrounding through her blurred vision from waking up. “Where am I?” She pondered.

Ria was in a large room, laying in a king sized bed. She felt exposed and she looked under the bedcover only to find out that she was nearly naked beneath the materials. She was just on bra and panties.

“Who undressed me? What happened to me?”

Ria tried to sit up on bed but the pain on her upper arm held her down. Soon her gaze fell on her upper arm and there was a bandage wrapped around it.

“How did I get here?” Ria murmured.

She closed her eyes and memories flooded her mind. The chase, the attack on her bodyguards, the man who carried her into a car, she tried to get out and then he stopped her and he covered her nose until she slipped into unconsciousness.

Ria became dizzy immediately as she thought of Ian and her family and it ended. A door opened and closed slightly.

“Are you up?”

Ria eyes opened when she heard the raspy voice. She gasped in shock when she saw who it was. Drake Robert was there! He was dressed in a short. His chest was bare and his hair was wet. He walked closer to the bed.

Ria held the sheet tightly to her body. And she didn’t want to believe what was going on in her head. She woke up naked in bed and he was coming from the shower. No! Her heart beat accelerated.

“Don’t… don’t come closer…” Ria stuttered.

Drake stopped and raise an eyebrow. Ignoring the pain from her arm, Ria managed to sit up still holding the sheet around her body. Ria cursed under her breathe at the pain.

“You have to be careful.” Drake muttered.

Anger welled up within her. “Don’t tell me to be careful!” She yelled at him as a tear slid down her cheek in the process.

Drake stared at her in shock. “What.. what.. did.. you do… to me?” To even know that he was the one who abducted her made her really furious. And she was annoyed because she couldn’t get out of bed to hit him.

Ria was naked and she couldn’t risk getting out of bed just to hit him without the sheet falling off her body. And how much had he seen? She mused. No! don’t let it be that he touched her.

Drake chuckled interrupting the train of her thought. “Ria, what do you think? What do you think I did to you after waking up naked in my bed?” He pointed at her.

Ria cringed at his words. “I am close to being naked too and just coming out from the shower. What message does that send to you?” He smirked.

Ria couldn’t utter a word. “You are not a kid anymore, Ria.” He snorted. “I know Ian would have had the best of it and I also wanted the taste a beautiful woman like you.” His tongue trailed over his lower lips with a devilish smirk playing on his expression.

Ria couldn’t believe his words but she heard herself saying to him. “Drake… perhaps did… you-” Her voice trailed off and she clenched her fists.

“Come on, Ria, we had sex.” He spat.

Ria closed her eyes. Her heart broke into pieces as she was weak beyond words. And she couldn’t do anything but stare into space. Tears dropped and she couldn’t control the flow. He did it. She wouldn’t have slept with him if she was conscious. He took advantage of the fact that she was unconscious.

“Listen Ria, It is not a big deal. I am sure you are used to having men in your life. Mostly those who can’t seemed to control that strong desire to get you in bed… I am one of them. You know, ever since I met you I couldn’t stop imagining stuffs like this… I mean seeing you unclad in my bed. And I am so glad that I got what I wanted.” Drake laughed.

“He forced himself on me.” Ria said within.

Another Lucas in her life. She never thought of it that Drake was the real abductor. She had her mind on Frederick.

“How could he do this to me? Didn’t he read the news? We are cousins!” She bantered internally.

“Well I abducted you to get back at Ian for cancelling the deal. He breached our agreement. You know I would have filed a lawsuit against him but I couldn’t do anything about it. That deal was my life! I worked so hard to get him to sign that damn deal but what did he do in the end? He cancelled it! I was even more furious because it was pointless to sue him knowing that I may not be able to win against him in court. So I opted in for the perfect option; Ian Bryant’s weakness which is Ria Robert. I decided to come for you. And I just thought of getting something from Ian… just one thing that will make him feel troubled; You.” He seethe his teeth in anger.

“And… you have no… idea what… you have just done.” Ria whispered.

“Tell me what I don’t know.” Drake chuckled darkly.

“You don’t know?”

Drake was silent for some seconds. “I don’t know? Maybe I really don’t know what you are driving at.” He shrugged.

“You didn’t read the news?” Ria swallowed hard.

“Damn the news.” Drake cursed under his breathe.

“I have nothing to discuss with you. I am going to keep you here for a very long time.” Drake started to walk away towards the door.

He wants to lock her up just like how Lucas did to her. “Wait Drake!” She stopped him. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know.” Drake turned around to look at her.

She didn’t want to be locked up in this room. The thought of it alone made her really sick and it almost brought back the days she had spent in Lucas’s den.

“All my life I wanted just one thing; happiness. I didn’t want anything else than to be happy. I was happy when my parents were alive. Despite being blind, nothing ever bothered me because I was happy and I had the best parents in the world. And never for once… did they ever complain or… say that I was a burden to them.” She wiped her tears. “But it was just so sad that I lost my happiness the very day my parents died. Do you know what it means to lose a loved one? Or to watch your loved one die right in front in your presence and… because of you and… you couldn’t do… anything about… it?” She cried.

Drake didn’t respond. He couldn’t relate to what she was trying to say because he has never lost a loved one.

“No you don’t… know what it means. My eyes were gone and I was alone. And each time I try to be happy… then my past keeps standing in the way. It reminded me of so many things today. It was horrible. A past filled with pain, guilt, sorrow and sadness and it also left me with a scar. A big scar and a fear. The greatest fear which I am still trying to overcome and… I just want to forget everything.” Ria looked at up at him.

“And everything you and your father ever did was cause me pain… too much pain. Frederick Robert was the architect of my horrible past!”

Drake looked stricken. “What do you mean?” He demanded with a serious face.

Ria couldn’t tell if Drake knew what she was talking about or he just wanted her to keep talking.

“Don’t act like you haven’t read the news or that you don’t know who your father is!” Ria glared at him.

He was silent.

“Take me back home. I don’t want to be locked up in here in like…. what happened to me… eight years ago.” Ria whispered.

“What did he do to you? I mean… my father. Tell me the truth.” Drake said.

Ria sniffled. “He killed my parents.” She blurted out.

Their gaze met and no one looked away. “You are joking right?”

“It is the truth. And I keep wondering why he had to go to such extent of killing my parents because he wanted my dad’s inheritance.”

“No.” Drake covered the steps from where he stood to the bed.

“Stay away… from me.” Ria moved away from him.

“Ria, I am not going to hurt you okay?” He said innocently.

“You are a bastard! Acting all innocent after you raped me! Don’t touch me!” Ria gritted. She couldn’t even touch him because she had to secure the sheet tightly around her body. There was nothing she could do to him. Even though she felt dirty at the moment the deed was already done.

He had his way with her!

“Okay… I won’t touch you but I need you tell me everything.”

Ria didn’t want to talk about it with him. “Find out from the news. I am sure you have lots of connections so you can call someone in Idaho to confirm it!” His presence irritated her so much.

“Ria-”

“Frederick Robert is a murderer. Your father is a criminal!” Ria grimaced in anger.

Drake stood up from the bed. “I want to believe you and everything I saw on the news. But this is so hard to believe.”

Oh! So he read the news!

“You saw the news… so why didn’t… you put things together to figure that we are cousins before…” Her voice broke and the tears flowed again. “… before you took advantage of me. I swear to you, Drake… I will put you and your father in jail for many things if at all I ever make it out of this place!” She threatened.

Drake snorted. “News flash; you are never going to make it out of this place until you tell me the truth! Everything that happened eight years ago!”

“Believed it or not your dad killed parents!”

Drake shook his head and laughed out loudly. She noticed the tear that strayed down one of his cheeks. “Unbelievable! I won’t believe you!” He went to the drawer and picked up his phone.

‘Dad. It is me. Drake.’

He was calling his father and then her heart skipped beats. Ria realized that Drake could be working for his father. What is he going to do her again?! She couldn’t hear what Frederick was saying on the other end.

‘Drake, how did you get this number?’

‘Mom gave me your number. I will give you details later. Can we meet up now?’ Drake said.

Ria thought of what to do at the moment. No idea!

‘No son… we shouldn’t meet up here in Chicago. I have to stay in hiding.’

‘You don’t want to meet me?’ He paused and looked at her. ‘But what if I say I have Ria Robert with me?’

‘Are you trying to play me?’

Ria looked at him as their eyes met. ‘I am serious.’

“Drake, were you the one who abducted Ria Robert?!’ He demanded.

‘Yes. I hired some men to do the job.’ Drake responded

‘What do you think you are doing Drake? You shouldn’t get involved in this case!’

‘Too late. I am involved in it now. I can send you pictures of her in my bed.’

‘Let me see her.’

Ria closed her eyes. He was going to take her to his father. She drew in a deep breathe and she had no idea why she suddenly became calm. She heard flashes as Drake took pictures of her and soon he was back on the phone.

‘I will bring her to you but on one condition.’ Drake stated.

‘What is it?’

‘I will be there with you while you do everything you want to do with her.’ He sniffed.

‘This is very dangerous. You shouldn’t-‘

‘Quit the lecture dad. I am in and I am not backing out now.’

Frederick sighed. ‘Alright. I will send you a location.’

‘I’ll bring her to you… alive.’ And Drake ended the call.

Ria refilled her lungs with fresh air. She wasn’t afraid to meet Frederick anymore. “You are taking me to him right?” She asked.

“Yes. He is my father and I can’t turn my back against him no matter what.” Drake answered with a cold stare.

“But… I will advice you do the right thing.” Ria murmured.

“Which is returning you back home to your family? No! Ian Bryant won’t spare my life. I lost everything! My company went down just in few days. Every partner in Limos stopped partnering with me, shareholders withdrew their shares and protesters stormed my office asking me to bring out my father.” Drake’s eyes held pain. “One thing I hate most in the world is not getting what I want. But look at me now, I failed! I have nothing and I can’t take this anymore.” He whispered the last few words.

“Well I went through worst fate than that… for months. I have been in pains for more than eight years now.” Ria said.

“So let us end everything. Let us all die together.”

Ria shook her head in disagreement. “No… I can help you Drake. I can persuade Ian to let things go and I can make him sign that deal again.” She rushed out her words.

“No.” Drake looked determined to take her to his father.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Okay. Take me to your father and let us end everything.” Ria whispered after a minute of silence.

She hate to say those words herself but she has no choice. There was no way to save herself. She was going to meet Frederick. But before he kills her, Ria would make sure he tells her why he killed her parents. Over time, Ria knew it wasn’t just the inheritance there was something more. She doesn’t want to accept that he did that because of the inheritance. She sensed there was more to it.

Drake grabbed a top from the single couch nearby and wore it. He threw Ria’s clothes at her and moved away from the bed.

“Change up and don’t try anything funny.” Drake said and turned his back at her.

Why did he turned away when he had seen her body while she was unconscious? And what he did pierced her heart the more. He wasn’t different from Lucas. It was pointless fighting him. She was already tired of this fight. So it was better to end things.

“Done?” He asked.

“Yes.” Ria replied.

Drake went to the drawer again and brought out a robe and tied her hands behind her back. Whatever happens in the end doesn’t matter to her anymore even if she dies in Frederick’s hands. She concluded.

But a part of her remained hopeful that nothing was going to happen to her and that she wasn’t going to die. And again she still doubted it.