1ST CHAPTER

“Ah, Armando, good god.” I heaved another pant as he thrusted himself deep inside me. “A-Arman—” he stopped me from saying another word as he ravaged my mouth, still not stopping from pushing himself in and out as I gasped for air.

“Quiet now, sweetheart. Don’t you have,” He said as he threw the last remaining article of clothing on his body, his polo, then he pushed me against the wall, and then he thrusted inside me, once again, sending vibrations all over my body. “co-workers, on today’s party? If you’re loud, they might hear you.” Armando smirked, that damned smirk that put me in this position, in the first place. “Well, ano pa ba ang di nila narinig? We’ve done it in the hospital, anyway.”

I gasped for air as he pulled out, just in time before I came.

The hotel’s supply closet is not a place to do things like, this, but to a man such as Armando Miñel Teng, there’s no such thing as a distinction between a hotel room and a supply closet. In his mind, as long as may lock, he can do me, as he pleases.

He picked up his wallet, and he brought out a condom.

“You don’t need that.”

“I don’t take chances, Bellanova.” Ah yes, the Bellanova name. Armando ripped the condom pack, and he slipped it on him. Our eyes met in the dark, empty supply closet, and his piercing eyes sent shivers to my spine.

This man is my husband.

“Cover your mouth, Arissa.”

As I felt the tip of him touch mine, my arms wrapped around his shoulders as the pleasure began to kick in. My moans became the only thing that was heard in the supply closet. As he kept thrusting himself in me, I hooked my legs around his waist. I could hear myself getting louder, and I tried to muffle my moans by burying my face into his neck.

Then he began to move faster as his lips began to ravage every naked part of my body; from my neck, to my shoulders, as he still kept pushing in and out. I felt my insides squeezing against his hot member.

“Fuck, Arissa!”

“A-Armando,” I moaned his name out, as he pushed in, and out faster, before my head was in complete ecstasy. “Oh my god, Armando!” He gave out two last slow thrusts, sending me shivers to my bones as I reached my limit as he did. I felt myself releasing, nang sumandal ako sa pader on which he pushed me against. I gasped for air, as he supported me. God, his stamina.

“Arissa, that was just once.” He gently pushed me against the wall and he whispered to my ear, “We have the whole night tonight, sweetheart.” Napahawak ako sa mga braso ni Armando, and I watched him smirk. He took off the condom, pulled up his pants, and he put on his polo. He took out some tissues from my purse, then he wiped me down. He helped me put on my underwear, and he zipped my dress up. I gulped as his long, thick fingers brushed against my spine. “I should go first.”

I did nothing but nod, as he left me in the supply closet alone. I glanced around; this is obviously the supply closet ng toiletries. Nag-kalat ang tissues, and soaps. I sat on the side, as I rested for a bit. Obviously, Armando cleaned me up, pero we did it twice, in this supply closet. He made me come. Twice.

Armando Miñel Teng. My husband. I don’t really have much to say about him. I don’t dislike him, neither do I like him. He’s using me, and I’m pretty sure na ginagamit niya lang rin ako. This marriage, I mean.

We’re not married-married. We’re married on paper, pero aside from the regular sex we get from each other, wala na kaming nakukuha sa isa’t-isa. I mean, siya meron, my shares sa Bellanova Corporation, but I’m a doctor, he’s the businessman between us. It’s conjugal property naman.

Well, you’re probably wondering why a 25-year-old neurosurgeon-in-training is married on paper, right?

That’s because I’m a Bellanova, and I don’t want to be one.

I stood up, and straightened my dress. I got a mirror from my purse and checked my make-up, tapos nagre-apply ako ng lipstick. I was wearing an off-shoulder red dress, that reached up to my knees. It had a lot of mesh, and Armando got it for me.

I left the supply closet, and went back to the party in the hotel. The party’s already quite noisy na ‘rin, kasi marami nang tao. My husband and I are actually in his cousin’s engagement party. And kami ng asawa ko, we have a bad track record with weddings.

Our lives began to go towards a different direction after a certain wedding, after all.

“You’re here, kanina pa kita hinahanap!” I smiled a little when a friend of mine, Kristian Bellezo-Bartolo, approached me. He had a glass of champagne with him. “You missed the toast.”

I smiled at Kris. “I’ve had enough toasts for the rest of my life, but thank you for worrying, Kris.” I squeezed his arm as we watched the people dance around.

The party’s extravagant, to say the least. After all, the celebrants are two equally-wealthy people. Nagkalat ang branded delicacies, as well as the decorations and settings.

I sighed, at napahawak ako sa balakang ko. “I was with my husband.” Kris shot me a glare, before he eyed me from eye to toe. “Kris, no judgements.”

“Hindi ko pa’rin alam kung bakit mo pinakasalan ‘yong gagong ‘yon. You deserve better, Arissa.” He scoffed.

“Thank you for always being on my side.”

Kris smiled at me. “You just say the word. May lupa asawa ko sa Batanes, no one can track you there.” I chuckled at his suggestion.

“Speaking of, where’s your wife?”

“She took our daughter to bed.” Tumango ako, before I felt a hand grasp my arm. I looked up to meet the eyes of that man, my husband.

Armando’s always had fierce eyes, from the day we met, his eyes have always looked like they burn with so much flame. The fact that he’s way taller than me, doesn’t help, too. He looks more intimidating, even when we stand as husband and wife, kasi his towering height dominates that of everyone in the room.

“The party’s over, let’s go.” Armando firmly began.

“Saan?” Kris, one with equally ferocious eyes, stared down at my husband. “Saan mo na naman dadalhin si Arissa?”

“What I do with my wife is none of your business, Bartolo.” My eyes went wide as Armando called Kris by his surname. “It’s none of my business din, whatever you do with that, waitress wife of yours.”

“Armando!” I immediately called him out, and he shot me a glare. Napamewang ako and I sighed, before I gave the two of them looks. “Tama na.” I firmly told them, and Armando glared at me. “Kung gusto mo makipag-away, wag sa engagement party ng pinsan mo,” I corrected myself, “No, pinsan niyo.” I crossed my arms.

I wasn’t lying. Armando and Kris were related, by law. Cousin-of-a-cousin. Pinsan nila parehas ‘yong bride, and I don’t think, this is where Armando should let out his temper on Kris, nor is this a place for Kris to snap at Armando. Maling time, maling place.

I held on Armando’s chest, as I pleaded with him with my eyes. “Not here.”

“妻子,” he called me his wife, in Chinese. “Looks like you’re getting used to dealing with me.”

I smiled a little. “We’ve been married for months, Armando.”

Armando placed his arm over my shoulder, and he pulled me closer to him, before he glared at Kris. “You’re lucky today.” I waved Kris goodbye as Armando pulled me away, in his arm’s grasp. I felt his breath close to my neck as he whispered, “You always take that guy’s side.”

“Kasi lagi mo siyang inaaway. Stop fighting with him.”

“People are too protective of you. They don’t know you that well, don’t they?”

“Hindi ko naman kasi sila asawa.” I deadpanned, and Armando smirked, before he let out a chuckle.

“Are you saying that you know me better than other people?”

I know a lot of things about him. Alam kong hindi siya naglalaba ng damit niya, madalas inaasa niya sa pinsan niyang bibisita sa bahay, bago kami naging mag-asawa. Alam ko rin na naka-postpaid siya at magastos siya sa data. Alam kong ayaw niya sa kapeng walang cream or gatas, kasi nag-papadagdag siya ng gatas sa grocery list ko, every single time.

But most importantly, alam kong he’s the only one who can get me out of the Bellanova Family.