His Forgotten Bride

Chapter 9

I kept blinking as I stared at the ceiling. I still couldn’t believe that Terrence was lying beside me right now. More than that, I never imagined I would wake up in his arms.

He was freaking hugging me.

I inhaled sharply when I felt Terrence tighten his arms around me and pull me even closer to his body.

“You wake up early,” he said hoarsely while burying his face against my neck.

My heart pounded wildly inside my chest. I cleared my throat and tried to speak despite my trembling lips.

“The sun’s already up, Terrence,” I whispered.

He only hummed in response and nodded against my neck. I could even feel him sniffing my skin from time to time.

“Are you sore?” he asked.

My face instantly heated as memories of what we did last night flooded my mind.

“Terrence!” I yelped when his hand suddenly cupped my womanhood.

I was already wearing a sando and cotton shorts. How I ended up dressed like this no longer surprised me.

“Hm. It’s swollen,” he murmured.

If there was a color redder than a tomato, I was sure that was the exact shade of my face right now.

How could it not be?

Your weapon is freaking huge.

He lifted his face and looked at me softly. “Good morning,” he greeted.

For the second time that morning, I blinked repeatedly while staring into his gentle eyes.

“G-Good morning,” I responded.

“What do you want for breakfast?” he asked before burying his face against my neck again.

I didn’t know how to answer. My mind felt like it was floating because of everything happening. I wanted to ask questions, but I was scared this illusion would suddenly disappear.

“Anything,” I answered.

He hugged me tightly one more time before slowly pulling away and getting out of bed. I simply watched his every movement, still amazed by his sudden change.

“I’m just going to cook. I’ll ask Manang to call you once breakfast is ready,” he said before leaning down to kiss my forehead. “Rest, okay?” he added softly.

I could only nod while repeatedly touching the spot where he kissed me.

He gave me a small smile before turning around and walking toward the door. I watched him disappear from my room, and only when the door finally closed did I let out a deep breath.

“What the hell is happening right now?” I murmured to myself. “Did he change because something happened between us?”

I sat there blankly for a few minutes before deciding to get up and clean myself. But before I could even sit properly, I collapsed back onto the bed when a sharp pain suddenly shot through my womanhood.

“Damn it!” I exclaimed as I squeezed my eyes shut.

My lips parted in both shock and pain.

“Does losing your virginity really hurt this much?!” I muttered while shaking my head.

I took several deep breaths before slowly sitting up again. Once I got used to the pain a little, I carefully stood and walked toward the bathroom.

“What the… merciful heavens, why did you give me a husband with a vacuum for a mouth?” I muttered absentmindedly while staring at the reddish marks blooming across my skin through the mirror’s reflection.

‘One, two, three, four, five, six.’ I counted silently while moving the fabric of my shirt aside.

“Six hickeys for Alliyah Ryde this morning,” I said in disbelief while shaking my head.

Instead of dwelling on it further, I simply washed my face and brushed my teeth.

After heaven came hell.

Right on cue, my phone rang as I stepped out of the bathroom. I slowly walked toward the bedside table and answered the call when I saw Mavy’s name on the screen.

“Good morning, my beautiful model!” he greeted enthusiastically.

I rolled my eyes and carefully sat on the bed. My face heated again when I noticed the crumpled sheets.

“You’re awfully early for gossip,” I said sarcastically.

He chuckled from the other line. “Well, I am your best friend, so I deserve to know everything,” he said proudly.

I sighed deeply and rubbed my temples. “What happened at the shoot?” I asked.

“Hmm. Mr. Chaos demanded a second photoshoot. Sorry about that, Alliyah. I didn’t know it would turn into something this serious.

You also never told me that one of the most famous businessmen in the Philippines was your husband,” he rambled.

‘Even in other countries,’ I corrected silently in my mind.

“It’s okay. I’m at fault too.” I sighed deeply before biting my lower lip. “The media… they weren’t informed about the news?” I asked hesitantly.

“Mr. Chaos handled the people involved at the scene. You should be thankful because most of the people there were his men, while the others… well, money did the trick,” he explained.

My brows furrowed at what my manager said.

Why would Chaos do that?

“So… when did you guys get married? Damn, you really kept it a secret from me,” Mavy complained dramatically.

I shook my head and smiled faintly. “It was our third anniversary last week,” I answered.

He shrieked loudly on the line. “So that’s why you cleared your schedule! Damn, girl. You really made time to get watered,” he teased shamelessly.

My face immediately burned.

Instead of feeling sad because that wasn’t what actually happened, embarrassment completely overwhelmed me because of what Terrence and I did last night.

“Stop it, Mavy Clark,” I warned.

He gasped dramatically. “You’re so boring, Alliyah!” he whined.

I laughed softly, but instantly regretted it when pain shot through my womanhood.

Damn.

“By the way, are we continuing the shoots in the next few days?” he asked cautiously.

I sighed and scanned myself. “I think I’ll rest for a week first. There are just some things I need to fix.”

I need my poor body to recover first!

“Okay, I’ll clear your schedule. Stay safe always,” he said. “Ahmm, Alliyah?” he added.

I just hummed in response.

“Girl, if you ever get tired of your husband, just donate him to me, okay?” he joked before bursting into laughter.

I facepalmed out of embarrassment. “Last time I checked, you liked girls,” I pointed out.

“I changed my mind. I’d rather be the one getting railed now.” He laughed even louder afterward.

“Oh my God, your mouth, Mavy!” I exclaimed in disgust.

He kept laughing as if he could perfectly picture my horrified expression.

“I’m ending this call now before I hear something even worse from you,” I said before ending the call.

I shook my head in disbelief as I placed my phone back on the bedside table.

Who said I would donate my husband?

As if on cue, I heard a knock on the door before Terrence entered the room.

“You’re done?” I asked casually even though nervousness still lingered inside me.

He gave me a small smile before walking toward me. He sat beside me and wrapped an arm around my waist.

“I decided to book a restaurant instead,” he murmured while burying his face against my neck.

I immediately froze.

I didn’t know whether I was more shocked because we were going out to eat together or because of how he was acting right now.

“Terrence…” I called softly before biting my lower lip.

“Yes?” he answered hoarsely as he looked up at me.

I inhaled deeply and stared straight into his eyes.

“Why are you acting like this?” I asked bravely even though my heart was pounding nervously inside my chest. “I mean… we’re not usually like this, you know,” I reminded him.

He simply stared at me as he slowly pulled away. I didn’t miss the way he swallowed twice.

I thought he would finally give me a clear answer, but I was wrong because he suddenly changed the topic.

“Want to go to the company with me?”