The Borrowed Bride [PUBLISHED]

Chapter 23: The Mother-in-law

One of them followed my instruction and a few moments later Diego enters my room. "You called for me, Your Excellency?"

"Yes," I smiled at him thoughtfully. "Can you drive me in town?"

"Now?" He slightly frowned in my direction. I hid my smile as I silently study his appearance. He's quite handsome even though he always has this serious expression on his face. No wonder Lucia had a thing for him however she denies the fact.

"Yes!"

"All right," He agreed reluctantly. He pulled out his mobile phone in his pocket and dialed someone. "I will just inform the Conde about our trip."

"Wait..." I told him as I snatch his phone in his hand. I glanced at the maid transferring my things to Leandro's room. I pulled him out of my room. "...one more thing. Can you please hide this from my husband?"

I knew that his loyalty was on Leandro but I don't want that arrogant Spanish count to lash out again if he learned that I went behind his back and see his mother. "I—I don't..."

"Please?" I asked with pleading eyes. I don't know if this trick would work for him. He seemed to be a straight-laced kind of guy but it usually worked before with other men so I would gamble my luck. "Just this one. Don't tell Leandro about our trip."

He eyed me intently. "Where precisely are we going, Señora?"

I sighed deeply. I knew that I have to tell him the truth or he would not help me. "I will pay his mother a visit."

The look in his eyes nearly made me burst to laugh. "B-but..."

"Will you help me?"

He nodded after a moment. "All right, ma'am."

"Great!" I told him with such enthusiasm, as I led him to the stairs pulling him with me. Let's go, Diego. We need to get back here before Leandro arrives later this evening."

We used one of Leandro's cars that were parked in the garage and to see his mother secretly. I don't know how this impromptu decision of me would end. But I have such positive thoughts about this.

I certainly hope so...

An hour and a half later, I stood at the beautiful house. My hands were shaking slightly as I look at the address in the paper in my hand making sure that I have the correct address as I compared it to the address on the wall of the house.

I finally dared to ring the bell and waited patiently. After a moment a woman dressed stylishly smile at me and I knew from that moment who she is. "Hello," She said pleasantly at me as her golden eyes sparked under the sunlight.

"Hello," I repeated the greeting with a reassuring smile on my face. I clutched the paper in my hand tightly as I looked at Diego patiently waiting for me inside the car. "Are you Maria Fernanda Salazar?"

The delight instantly vanished from her pretty gold eyes. Though I only asked that to give me a good start about my mission here. I knew she's Leandro's mother. She's the mirror image of Lucia. "Sì." She said warily. "Though, I don't use my married name now. What can I do for you, young lady?"

"I'm Leila Fiorenza..." I cleared my throat and look straight into her eyes. "...Leila Fiorenza-Salazar to be exact. I'm Leandro's wife."

The woman's eyes were misted with tears instantly. "Oh my goodness..." Her hands flew to her mouth as she gazed at the tinted car outside her house, tears now falling in her eyes. "...is he with you now?"

I glanced at the car and shook my head regretfully. "No, I'm sorry. He wasn't with me today. That's just my bodyguard."

"Of course." Maria Fernanda said so cheerfully, wiping her tears away from her face. "He would not come here and meet me. He hates me."

"Can I talk to you, ma'am?" I asked her softly.

"Yes, of course." Leandro's mother pulled me inside her house and we sat on the sofa sitting next to each other. She grabbed both of my hands and squeezed them. "Please come here. I'm so glad you visit me today. You don't know how happy I am today when I learn that my Leandro finally married to a beautiful woman and also a kind-hearted one."

I gave her a self-mocking smile. "I'm not that kind-hearted woman, Señora Salazar. Kind-hearted wasn't the word people professed to know me would describe me. Rebel and unruly were only a few words to describe me."

She surprised me when she burst into a hearty laughed. "Please, don't address me as 'Señora Salazar' I don't use that name after my divorce to Leandro's father. Please just call me Maria Fernanda. Now I know why my son married you."

"Because I'm pregnant?"

She glanced at the slight swell of my belly and shook her head. "Not only that, Leila. I think you are the perfect wife for him. You could be equal to him in everything. I knew that he would pick the right woman to be his wife."

I smiled gratefully at her. "You think so?"

"Tell me, how long you are married to him?" She fired the question so eagerly. "Does he treat you well? How's Lucia, my daughter?"

My eyes misted with tears as my heart thud so painfully in my chest. This woman in front of me lost so many years from her children's life. I don't know what happened in their family before I only knew few fragments of their conflict. It saddened my heart as she asked about her children's welfare. I can't help but miss my mother.

"We're just recently married and Lucia is fine," I informed her with tears falling in my eyes right now. "She looks like you, ma'am. So beautiful and gentle."

"I'm so happy to hear that." She said with obvious longing in her voice. I squeezed her hand in reassurance. "I want to see them. But I knew it's impossible. They hated me. You must know they don't want to see me ever again. They thought that I betrayed their father."

"They don't hate you, ma'am."

She smiled sadly in my direction, her eyes filled with years of pain. "I know that they hated me. I tried to contact them in the past but they refuse to talk to me. They completely believed their father's story to bother listening to my side. I only saw my eldest son's funeral from afar. My ex-husband's bodyguards made sure I would not gatecrash my son's wake."

"Your children love you very much," I told her with such conviction. I could feel that Leandro and Lucia love her so much. How much they try to deny it. "Maybe they were just hurt by the fact that you left them."

"I don't want to leave them alone with my ex-husband. But what can I do his way too powerful than mine? He's a count and I am nothing but a mere commoner. He threatened me to ruin my sister's husband's company if I take our children with me."

My heart lurched at her tale. I don't have any idea that Leandro's father was that heartless. "I will make Leandro see you and talk to you."

She shook her head. "Don't do that. It might ruin your relationship with him. He's so stubborn I know my son well, Leila."

"Trust me," I told her with such arrogance in my voice. And I would let him see his mother even if I need to use force. "I will enforce him to see you."

"Thank you." She said gratefully. "You are really a kind person. My son is lucky a man to have you as his wife, Leila."

We talked for the rest of the day she showed me baby pictures of her children she treasured carefully and tales of her bonding with them in the estate until the time I notice that I need to go. I need to be in the estate before Leandro arrives from his office. But before I could depart Maria Fernanda squeeze a promise from me that I would meet her again.

Once I was inside the car and we're going home. I closed my eyes and wonder how in hell I am going to make Leandro talk to his mother?