IN THE RHYTHM OF PASSION

Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Hello, Good Morning, BeSo Courier, How Can We Help You?

Bella

I'm Bella Rossi, and today I turn 21. I've been dating Mateo Franco for six months, and he always teases me because I don't want to have an intimate relationship yet. It's not that I'm a prude; it's just that the right moment hasn't come up yet.

Sofia, my cousin and best friend, thinks the same as well. She always agrees with me. The two of us have started a courier and delivery service company. Today is February 14th, Valentine's Day, and Sofia is organizing an incredible party for me at one of the city's hotels. I've been thinking that after the party ends, Mateo and I could have our first night together.

"Hello, good morning, BeSo courier, how can we help you," I answer the call.

Suddenly, a young lady asks if I can pick up an urgent package from a toy store to deliver it to a nearby hotel,

"I'm sorry, but we don't have any staff available at the moment," I explain to her, but she insists. Apparently, it's a VIP client who requires their services,

"We'll pay you double, please, we need it delivered as soon as possible."

The truth is that today is my birthday. I agreed with Sofia that we wouldn't work today, but how could we not? It's our busiest day of the year. All the employees are making deliveries, and I've been working all day myself. I haven't even gone to the beauty salon yet.

Sofia must be overseeing all the preparations for the party. I think I also deserve a break. It didn't seem fair, so I decided I would take that job myself; it would be the last delivery of the day. After delivering that package, I would get ready for my big day and my 'surprise party.' Of course, it's also the day of love, and how could I not spend it with the person I love and be completely rested?

I closed the shop and got on one of the motorcycles parked outside. I'm not really good at driving, but it can't be that hard. I've ridden a bicycle all my life, so I started the motorcycle and put the toy store's address into the GPS. I can't imagine who needs a toy urgently at this hour, but here I go.

I arrived at the store and was really surprised when I found out that the toys I was picking up were all for adults—in other words, they were s*x toys. Luckily, the box was wrapped in a silver bag; otherwise, I wouldn't know how to deliver it.

The hotel where I had to deliver the package was also where my party would be held later. I arrived quickly, parked the motorcycle, and went in with the package in my hand. At the reception, I asked for room 1015. Someone was supposed to be waiting for this package; that VIP client must have been desperate for their toys.

"Suite 1015 reservation under Mr. Mateo Franco, leave the package here. Thank you very much," the receptionist said. I can't believe it when I hear that the suite is under Mateo's name.

Could it be that he was thinking the same thing about our first night together after the party? I couldn't believe we had the same though. I never imagined that Mateo liked these toys; he must have wanted to surprise me. I'll have to act surprised. I won't tell them that I opened the business today. Now I understand why Sofia asked me not to open today—she also knows about my surprise. They're amazing, and I love them dearly. I left the bag with all those little toys there and left.

***

"Darling, do you know if the toys I ordered for tonight have arrived?" Sofia, Bella's cousin, asked Mateo, who was in the suite over the phone. She always wanted everything Bella had.

The Rossi family had known Mateo's family since they were little. Sofia had always been in love with Paolo Milano, Mateo's second cousin.

Paolo, a millionaire and a distant cousin of the Francos, was feared by everyone for being a ruthless and relentless man in business and in his daily life. He had never been seen with a woman. They said if any woman approached him, she could end up dead just for the simple audacity of doing so. That's why Sofia settled for stealing her orphaned cousin's boyfriend, Mateo, who was the closest to Paolo she knew.

Sofia didn't know that it would be Bella who would deliver the s*x toys. She thought her cousin was enjoying the beauty salon. They had agreed not to open the business that day. Although Sofia wanted to see Bella suffer, it wasn't in her interest to do so just yet because the whole business was in Bella's name.

First, she had to make sure the company was in her name, and she would achieve that with Mateo's help. He had to convince Bella to hand over the company control to Sofia after the birthday party. However, for Sofia, sleeping with Bella's boyfriend was a way to ruin her life, even if Bella didn't know it.

The party began, and the guests started to arrive. Among them was Paolo Milano. Sofia ensured the businessman received the most prestigious invitation to the party.

Sofia's parents were in charge of welcoming everyone, having taken care of Bella after her parents' death.

Bella left everyone speechless as she entered the hall. The dress Sofia had prepared for her wasn't the one she ended up wearing. When Bella was at the beauty salon, one of the employees accidentally spilled water with alcohol on the dress. As compensation, the owner called a designer friend, the best in the city, who brought dresses from her latest collection.

Seeing Bella's beauty and perfect figure, the designer didn't hesitate to give her the best design, knowing exactly who the young woman was and where she would be wearing her design. Bella now dazzled like a princess in the center of the hall.

Sofia was so upset that she began telling all the guests that Bella was just an orphan and that her parents had thrown the party out of pity.

Midway through the night, Mateo went up to the suite to check if the package he had ordered had arrived. Earlier, he had made sure to give Bella lots of drinks, intending to get her drunk and send her to sleep in any room so he could then sleep with Sofia in the suite they had reserved.

Sofia, who saw Mateo leave, followed him. She wanted to speed things up, as she couldn't stand everyone focusing on Bella anymore, so she sent a message to her cousin to go to room 1015.

Bella saw the message and thought it was Mateo calling her. She was happy because this would be her special night. She tried to find her cousin to excuse herself with the guests, but she couldn't see her, so she went alone to the elevator. Bella went up to the tenth floor and reached suite 1015.

The door was open. Bella entered when she began to hear sounds inside; they sounded like kisses and intimate noises shared by a couple. Bella reached the door of the room and clearly saw her boyfriend and her cousin in bed.

Bella couldn't believe her eyes; how could her cousin, whom she loved dearly and considered her best friend, like a sister, be involved with her boyfriend?