The Borrowed Bride [PUBLISHED]

Chapter 26: The Poison

Poison is in everything, and nothing is without poison. The dosage makes it either a poison or a remedy.

-Paracelsus

Leila Fiorenza's POV

"What are you doing?"

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I slowly turned around the face the man who just spoke. I tried to give him a reassuring smile. "As you can see I'm packing my things."

"What for?" He asked, closing the door firmly behind him. He moved farther inside the room with disapproving frowned on his strong eyebrows. I thought he's busy with the estate matters today so why he's here?

I smiled at him while continuing to put my things inside my bag. "I have decided that I will move back to my old room for a few days, Leandro. How about you, what are you doing here? I thought you're going to be busy at the estate today?"

"I came here to change clothes." He answered, but then he frowned at me again. "Don't change the subject, Leila. What do you mean that you will move back to your old room? Haven't we agreed before that you would be sleeping next to me every night?"

"Yes," I said thoughtfully, looking straight to his face. "But then again I realized that what we need right now is space."

He glared at me darkly. "What the hell do you mean by that? What is this new nonsense that crossed your mind, mi esposa?"

"Trust me, Leandro," I told him carefully, closing the zipper of my hand carry. "It's for the best. We will just quarrel all night if we stay in the same bed for now."

Leandro sighed deeply as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "We will not argue in bed if you will just stop this nonsense of seeing that woman despite my protest. I don't need her in my life. So stop this, okay?"

"You are wrong," I contradicted firmly. "You need your mother in your life even if you deny it but deep in your heart, you know the truth and so this baby in my womb. That woman is will be his or her grandmother."

"Enough, Leila." He said almost pleadingly. "Let's not start with this again."

"No!"

He stared at me with such exhaustion in his eyes. "We can be a happy family without her, wife. My siblings and I grew up without her and that's just fine. Look at us now we're perfectly fine. I will be a good father to our child."

I shook my head. "How can you say that you're going to be a good father to a baby when you know in yourself that you are not complete? Something is missing in your life, Leandro?"

"And what is that?"

"Your forgiveness to your mother," I told him bluntly. "If you talk to her and learn her side of the story then I might believe that you're going to be a good father to our child." I moved closer to him and placed my hand in his heart. "Find peace in here, Leandro. Do it if not for you then for our unborn child."

He didn't answer. I tiptoed and kiss him on the lips before grabbing my bag on the mattress and left him alone in the room I shared with him. Once I was in the corridor I saw the widow.

"Can we talk?"

I sighed deeply as I shook my head. This woman never learned her lesson the first time we had a conversation. I nodded regally at her. "Let's go to my room."

The witch followed me inside my old room and closed the door behind her. Once we were safely inside my room I faced her immediately. I smiled sweetly at her. "So what do you want to talk about, sister-in-law?"

She flashed a self-satisfied smile on her perfect make-up face. "I have to be honest to you that it pleased me greatly that you're having a rift with Leandro."