Married To The Heartless Billionaire

Chapter 4

Dana let out a deep sigh before she dialed Attorney Enriquez's number. After everything that happened to her family, Dana decided to just accept Franco's condition to marry him to prevent him from pressuring her family. She’s willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of her family. She loves her family so much and couldn't bear to lose them. Because the life of her loved ones is only one, and her happiness and freedom could change over time. It took several rings before Attorney Eriquez answered her call.

"Yes, hello?"

Dana heard Attorney Enriquez's voice from the other line. Dana slightly bit her lower lip before speaking. "A-attorney..." She couldn't help the tremble in her voice. So she cleared her throat. "Hmm... may I have Sir Franco's personal number?" She requested a favor.

It took a while before the other line responded. "I'm sorry. But I don't easily give out my client's personal number," he replied. "Especially without his consent," he continued.

"Please, Attorney. I badly need it. I need to talk to him about the condition he asked me so he won't pressure my family," she pleaded.

There was no response from him. She could only hear his sigh from the other line. It seemed he was considering whether to give Franco's personal number.

But soon he spoke again. "Okay," he agreed to her request. "I'll just send you his number."

"Thank you so much, Attorney," Dana replied. After that, she bid him goodbye.

She waited for him to forward Franco's number to her until she received a message from him. She saved Franco's number in her contacts. Before calling Franco, she took in a deep breath to calm herself. She was nervous at that moment. When she had somewhat calmed down and gathered her courage, she dialed his number. It rang, but no one answered, only the operator. For the second time, she dialed his number again. Like the first time, it just kept ringing. Maybe the man was busy or simply didn't want to answer her call. Dana decided to send Franco a message instead. She thought maybe he wasn't answering her calls because the number was unknown to him.

To: Franco

Good morning, Sir Franco. This is Dana Marquez. Can I talk to you?

After sending the message, she waited for him to reply. But after ten minutes of waiting, she received no response from him.

"Argh," she exclaimed in frustration, unable to stop herself from stomping her feet on the floor in annoyance towards the man at that moment. It seemed hopeless to talk to him now.

She slipped her phone inside her pocket and returned to her father's private room. When Dana was in front of the door, she knocked three times to announce her presence before turning the knob to open it. Upon opening it, she saw her father lying on the hospital bed, while her mother was sitting on a chair beside him. Her father was awake at that moment, but his face showed signs of weakness and concern.

"Dad," she called his attention. She approached him and sat on the edge of the bed. "How are you?" she asked.

He turned to her. "I-I'm okay," her father replied. His voice was slightly slurred due to his stroke. But she could still understand him. "I'm just thinking about your sister Doreen," he said after a while.

Dana bit her lower lip. Then she took her father's hand and gently squeezed it. “Dad, please don't think about that for now. It might worsen your health," she told him.

"That's what I've been telling your father, Dana. But he's stubborn," her mother interjected in their conversation.

"I-I can't help but worry, Carolina. I'm the father, I can't help but worry about my child," her father replied.

Dana gently caressed her father's hand. "Dad, I understand you. But can you please postpone thinking about the problem for now? It might only worsen your health," she said. "Don't worry, I'll try to contact her and I'll also try to talk to... Sir Franco to ask for a favor—" Dana didn't finish what else she was going to say to her father when her phone rang. She took it out of her pocket and widened her eyes as she saw and read who was calling her at that moment.

It was Franco David.

"Why, Dana?" She averted her gaze from the phone and shifted her gaze to her mother when she heard her speak. "Who's calling?" her mother asked as their eyes met.

"Ah... it's just an acquaintance. Excuse me, Dad and Mom. I'll just take this call," she excused herself from her parents. She stood up from the edge of the bed and walked out of the room.

When she was outside, she answered the call.

"H-hello." Dana silently scolded herself for stuttering.

"What do you want to talk about?" a deep baritone voice from the other line asked. His voice was firm, and it didn't sound like an older man at that moment. "Are you going to speak or not?"

He asked her without her saying anything, his irritation was evident in his voice. It seemed the man was hot-headed.

"I'm sorry." She apologized to him right away.

"You know, Miss Marquez. I'm a busy person, if you don't have anything important to say to me, it's better to end the call. You're just wasting my time." His anger was evident in his voice this time.

"I have something important to say," she quickly said to avoid him ending the call. Attorney Enriquez was right when he said that Franco was an impatient man. Because he truly was impatient.

"What is it?" he asked her in a deep baritone voice. She bit her lower lip for a moment.

"About the condition you asked of me—" She didn't finish what she was saying when he cut her off.

"What about it? Haven't you made a decision yet?"

Dana bit her lower lip once more. "I changed my mind. I agree to your condition now. I will marry you." Her statement was almost devoid of pauses. She needed to do that to prevent her decision from changing.

She didn't hear any response from him. But after a while, he spoke. "Okay," was his only response to what she said. She waited to see if he would add anything else, but it seemed he wouldn't, so she took the opportunity to speak again.

"Sir, can I—"

"Franco." He interrupted her before she could say anything else.

"What?"

"Call me Franco," he said to her. Her lips formed an 'o'.

"So, were you saying?"

"I-I wanted to ask for a favor about the condition you asked of me," she began. "Can we keep the wedding a secret? I don't want my father to know about our marriage because he might have another heart attack and who knows what else might happen to him." She also prayed that Franco would agree to her favor.

"Okay," he replied. She couldn't help but smile a little because he agreed. "Thank you Sir— I mean Franco," she corrected herself suddenly.

"I'll inform you where and when the wedding will be."

"Okay." That was Franco's only response to Dana.

***

"Are you sure about your decision, Dana?" Nadine asked her when she told her about Franco's condition to marry him and her decision regarding the condition the man asked of her. "Won't you change your mind? Remember, marriage is not a joke. Once you're married, there's no turning back," she continued to remind her.

Nadine was right. Like what the elders said, marriage is not like a hot rice that you can spit out when it burns you. That's why it should be carefully think about and prepare for. But in her situation, she couldn’t prepare for it, nor did she think it through. Because she’s desperate.

Dana let out a deep sigh. "I have no choice, Nadine," she said to her friend. "I need to change my initial decision because I don't want my father's health to be at risk," she continued. "Look at what Franco did to us, to my job when I refused his condition."

Because of Dana's refusal, she lost her job, and he even planned to take the house where they lived. She didn't know what else he could do to her family because of her refusal to his condition. And she wouldn't wait for what else he could do, so she agreed to his condition.

Nadine didn't speak for a while. Instead, she just stared at her.

"What about you, Dana? What about your dream of marrying the man you love? The man who also loves you?" Nadine asked her after a while.

Dana bit her lower lip to hold back the tears that wanted to fall from her eyes at that moment. It's true, Dana's dream was to marry the man she loved and who loved her. She dreamed of wearing a wedding dress and getting married in a church. But it seemed like it would only ever be a dream for her.

"There are some things that will remain just dreams," she replied. "Perhaps this is what's destined for me," she continued. "I was hoping that everything would be okay. And I'll just try to be a good wife to Franco." Dana would also try to love him. Maybe she could learn to love the man.

Nadine bit her lower lip. After that, she held her hand resting on her thigh. She let out a deep sigh. "I'm not trying to discourage you, Dana, but what about that? You don't know Franco very well. What if he hurts you while you're married? Surely, you'll be living under the same roof,” she said, concern was evident on her face. "Based on the story you told me about what he did to your family, it's likely he has no heart because he didn't even consider Uncle Danny's health."

"H-hopefully not," Dana replied to Nadine. At that moment, she became optimistic. She didn't want to think negatively.

"I hope so," Nadine said to her. "But always remember, okay? I'm here for you. If he hurts you, tell me immediately. Call me right away. Or report him to the police if he hurts you."

Dana just nodded in response to Nadine. They talked for a few more minutes until her friend bid her goodbye, returning to work as her break was over. Instead of returning to her father's private room, she took out her phone and tried calling her sister, Doreen. Maybe she would answer and she could talk to her, and maybe there was still a chance she could escape from the agreement she made with Franco; it's not too late. But to her dismay, her sister's phone remained unanswered. So she decided to send her a message, hoping she would read it eventually.

To: Doreen

Doreen, if you're reading this, please show up. Face your mistakes. Don't run away. We, the innocent ones, are paying for your sins. Us, Dad, and Mom. Please... please show up.

Dana let out a deep sigh as she sent that message to her sister, Doreen.