The Unwanted Wife (Unwanted #1)(34)
Author: Natasha Anders

“Elisa, please, you have to let me do this…” he sounded… desperate.
“It doesn’t feel right,” Lisa was saying and Theresa frowned in confusion. What on earth was going on here?
“I’ve drawn up the papers, it’s practically a done deal,” he was saying urgently.
“I have to think about it and discuss it with Rick, of course,” Lisa was saying softly.
“Of course,” Sandro agreed amicably and realising that their conversation was at an end, Theresa very quickly made her way back to the living room. She was back in the chair and gently rocking a contentedly gurgling Rhys when the other two appeared. She sat up abruptly, her wide eyes flying from one face to the other. They both looked annoyingly relaxed and neither face revealed much. Sandro placed the tray that he was holding onto the coffee table and sat down on the same sofa he’d occupied earlier. Lisa sat down next to him and busied herself with the tray, placing a tall glass of orange juice on the coffee table in front of Theresa.
“Don’t argue,” Sandro intervened when she opened her mouth to protest. “It’s good for you.” He helped himself to the coffee while he and Lisa proceeded to chat like old friends. Theresa sat there seething, hating to be so thoroughly excluded.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t join you yesterday, Theresa,” Lisa suddenly said. “How did your check up go?” Theresa glared at her cousin for bringing up the topic in front of Sandro, who sat up and watched her like a hawk as he waited for her to respond.
“It was okay,” she murmured awkwardly.
“What did he say about the dizzy spells?” Lisa asked and Theresa was aware of Sandro tensing up like a coiled spring at the question.
“Nothing important,” she responded evasively, keeping her eyes on the baby in her arms.
“What dizzy spells?” Sandro suddenly asked in a dangerous voice.
“She’s been feeling faint for most of the last two months,” Lisa helpfully informed and Theresa gritted her teeth.
“And you didn’t think to tell me?” Sandro suddenly snapped furiously.
“I didn’t think you’d care,” Theresa muttered miserably and Sandro swore venomously beneath his breath.
“She didn’t think I’d care,” he repeated incredulously. “Oh my God, woman… you assumed that I would not care about something that directly impacts your health and the baby’s well-being?”
“Of course, I know you’d care if anything happens to the baby but I didn’t want to worry you about something that I know is not a big deal.”
“And how do you know that? Did you obtain a degree in medicine sometime over the last three months? Of course I’ve seen you so rarely lately that you could have gotten a degree in quantum physics and I wouldn’t have known!” Lisa choked back an entirely irreverent giggle at that and both Theresa and Sandro glared at her.
“Sandro, I told you… I’ll take care of the baby and myself. You needn’t worry about it. Your responsibility toward me, us, is at an end,” she reminded logically.
“We’re still married,” he pointed out. “And I think I’ll decide when and where my responsibility toward you and the baby will end. From now on, you will keep me fully appraised of what’s going on with your and the baby’s health.”
“No,” she maintained stubbornly. “It’s none of your business. You made it clear that the only reason you ever wanted me to get pregnant was to escape from this marriage, so why don’t you leave me alone while I attempt, once again, to do everything in my power to make you happy?”
“The only thing that would make me happy right now, you stubborn red-headed little cat, is if you would simply do as you’re told for a change!”
“I’m sick of doing what I’m told, I’m sick of being your obedient little lapdog… I was happy without your interference in my life these last few months, so I refuse to go back to the way it was before.”
“I don’t want to go back to that either,” he unexpectedly conceded. “We didn’t have a real marriage before…”
“You can’t possibly be telling me that you want a real marriage now?” She scoffed.
“What if I am?” He warily asked and she laughed in his face.
“I’d think you were insane to think that I’d want anything to do with it. How can a marriage with a life span of just six more months possibly be beneficial to either of us?”
“It wouldn’t… but that’s not what I want…”
“Oh it’s always about what you want isn’t it? Well, I have news for you, Sandro…” she was still holding the now-sleeping baby to her chest and glowering furiously at the tall man seated opposite her, oblivious to her cousin who sat watching the scene unfold in absolute fascination. “I don’t give one damn about what you want. I don’t want to stay married to you… I want my life back and I want you gone as soon as your contract with my father has been fulfilled.” The silence was absolutely deafening. Finally, after what seemed like ages, he leaned back in his chair and shook himself slightly.
“We’ll still be together until the baby is born,” he finally acknowledged wearily. “Up until then, I want daily updates on your health. I don’t want to be excluded from any bit of news no matter how trivial you think it may be.”
“I don’t understand what you’d hope to gain from such an arrangement,” she said miserably confused and frustrated by how adamant he was being on this point.