His phone buzzed on the table.
Armando glanced at it, something flickering in his deep eyes. Then he turned it off.
Jovana caught the name on the screen. It read, “Juliette.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
She watched him closely, looking for any crack in his facade.
But he hid it well.
“Nothing,” Armando said, flipping the phone face down.“Just a work issue with a project. I need to check on it. You stay here. I’ll be back soon.”
Jovana’s heart sank. She grabbed his sleeve, trying to hold him there. “What kind of work is so urgent that the CEO has to handle it this late?
Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”
Without hesitation, Armando pulled her close, patting her back gently. “Alright, I’ll stay with you.”
He looked so tender.
But Jovana’s heart felt like it was being squeezed, the pain stealing her breath.
Dinner lost all flavor after that.
Later that night, fresh from her shower, Jovana stepped out of the bathroom.
Armando came up behind her, his arms wrapping around her. His tall frame radiated strength.
His hands slid along her waist, inching lower…
“Darling, your period’s over, right?”
Jovana’s lashes fluttered. The moment his hand grazed the hem of her skirt, she pushed it away,
“I’m tired.”
Armando froze, the desire in his eyes fading. He looked almost pitiful.“Sweetheart…”
Jovana climbed into bed, her face blank.
Seeing her resolve, Armando didn’t press. He leaned down, kissing her cheek softly.“Sleep well. I’ll be in the study handling some work.”
“Okay.”
Deep into the night, a faint creak of the door jolted Jovana awake.
Her intuition drove her to slip on a coat and leave the bedroom.
The study was empty.
She frowned and turned, glancing toward the floor–to–ceiling windows… and froze. In the garden, two people were wrapped in a tight
embrace.
“Why are you here? I told you, keep Vana in the dark about this!”
Armando shoved the woman away, his voice low and furious.
Juliette Palmer’s eyes glistened with tears as she boldly clung to his waist.
“I just think it’s unfair to you. She can’t give you what you need, but I can, Mando. I’m wearing that nightgown you bought me–want to see?”
She tugged her top open, revealing a glimpse of lace, and stood on her toes to kiss his jaw.“Mando.”
Armando’s breathing grew heavy. His grip on that woman’s waist was tightened.
He’d been rebuffed by Jovana earlier, and now the temptation was undeniable…
“You little minx.”
His lips trailed along her neck, whispering something filthy in her ear. Then he scooped her up, heading toward a car parked nearby.
Soon, the car began to rock.
07:46
1.9%
It wasn’t hard to imagine what was happening inside.
Jovana watched, her eyes stinging as tears streamed down her face. Her chest ached so fiercely she could barely breathe.
Because of her family, she’d never really believed in love.
Armando’s relentless devotion had changed her mind.
He’d always been so gentle, never demanding too much. Even in their most passionate moments, he’d only steal soft kisses.
He had waited until their wedding night to undress her, trembling with emotion as he did.
When he finally saw her, that proud, untouchable man had tears in his eyes.
He’d held her like she was the most precious thing in the world and whispered, “I’ll never let you down, Jovana.”
Jovana had melted, promising, “Listen, Armando, as long as you stay true to me, I’ll never leave you.”
Now, it all felt like a cruel joke.
He’d betrayed her after all.
And so, she would leave him forever.
Jovana turned away. Back in the bedroom, she packed a few clothes into a suitcase.
She walked to the calendar and drew a stark X over the 24th.
She thought, “Twenty–nine days left, Armando.”
Jovana didn’t sleep a wink, drifting off only as dawn crept in.
She was jolted awake by Armando’s panicked voice.
“Vana, what is this?”
Jovana blinked blearily. When she saw what was in his hand, her heart skipped a beat.
It was a message for her prearranged ‘faked death‘ service!
Chapter 3.
