The Holy Love Affair of a Billionaire

Chapter 1

The mocking waves of laughter of the bouncers are still echoing in Maria's ears as she gets into an unknown place she'd never been. She was startled and almost lost her balance when a middle-aged woman approached, unpleased.

"What are you standing there? Get in the VIP Room, right now!" she said with an angry tone. She then pushed Maria, urging her to walk forward. Maria turns to face her and protests.

"I just want to drink," she answered, holding tight on her sleeve.

She must have mistaken Maria and thought she is a newly hired employee. Maria doesn't seem to bother and she only wants to drink and forget her troubles even just for a while.

"Go there right now before Mr. Bianchi comes in," she said, irritated.

"B-But-"

She answered, cutting what she has to say while eyes are roaming around the nightclub. This club is weird, she thought. Though she had never been to any of the clubs, she is expecting a familiar and common ambiance as she saw on TV.

Waitresses and bartenders are wearing bunny costumes and sexy cosplayer clothes. Some are looking at her with disgust. She is a novitiate who accidentally entered the wrong place because of her carelessness.

"No more buts. You don't know Mr. Bianchi," she said sternly.

The lady dragged her forcefully and almost slammed her to the front door of the VIP room. She squirmed, avoiding the angry face of a woman.

"Nice costume by the way," she said, smirking while turning her back, and waved her hand.

With the sound of the loud music, the scream of excitement, and waves of laughter of the few people partying like there is no tomorrow, Maria decided to get inside the room.

Costume?

Maria slowly pushes the door and the breeze of the cool air from the air-conditioner hits her face. Even though she is fully cloth, the chilly feelings get on her skin and make her shiver. She has never been to this kind of place. On top of that, the woman who approached her thinks she is a cosplayer. She wonders why she needs to get into the VIP room.

Maria is in deep thoughts, eyes are busy checking the cozy room. Feeling a bit nervous and uncomfortable, she sits on the soft couch, trying to figure out what she will do here and who is Mr. Bianchi?

In front of her is a table topped with a bottle of wine, two empty glasses, and a clean ashtray. Without hesitation, she grabs the bottle, opens it, and pours in one of the empty glasses of wine until it overflows. She snaps and places back the bottle cautiously. Wiping the spilled wine by her fingers, she licked them to taste but she frowned from the bitter taste.

Just like her life at this moment, she thought. Full of pain and bitterness rather than sweetness. She stares intently at the filled glass of wine, she grabs it and drinks straight up to its last drop. Placing back the glass, her eyesight spins for a while.

She wonders how long she's been sitting there. A minute is like an hour already. She closes her eyes and the face of the man she loves so much flashed in her sight.

Maria smiles bitterly and talks to a man in front of her.

"Why, Val?" she asked.

The man did not respond and just watched her crying. Her tears rushed to her face freely, full of sadness. Maria covers her mouth suppressing the voice to come out, afraid that the man she loves will not like it.

I don't want to see you sad, so don't cry when I'm gone.

Oh god, please. Why did this happen? Maria speaks to herself as if heaven is punishing her.

Maria is an orphan who grew up inside the convent. She was found at the gate of the church, left with full name and birth certificate, a note stating her mom died after giving birth to her. She has no father. Sister Eva, the mother superior of the Nun Congregation, concluded that a good Samaritan helped her mother and later decided to bring her to the convent.

Maria is an active servant and secretary of the Nun Congregation. She lived in an almost holy place. She devoted herself to studying and helping inside the convent. But Sister Eva never limits her to explore and discover things outside the convent. She wants Maria to see the world what she experienced before entering and committing herself as a nun.

Living her whole life inside the convent, it is normal that she receives nonstop offers to become a nun someday but she never had a plan of joining. She strongly declines Sister Eva and the rest of the nuns every time they are convincing her. When she meets Val, she is more careful of deciding and she dreams of marrying the man instead.

Val Roberto is a 30-year-old gentleman, righteous, and almost perfect for Maria. As an orphan, Maria considers her only family outside the convent aside from Sister Eva whom she treats like a mother.

Maria finds out that Val and she have a common interest. They get along well and fall in love over time. Val highly regarded her as innocent and pure. Afraid to disappoint her man, Maria is so patient and acts purer in front of Val. The lack of skinship and dating is not a big deal for her, as long as Val is her boyfriend, she is happy enough and willing to wait until the man proposes to her.

After two years of dating, his boyfriend Val disappeared, leaving her without notice, not even a single note.

All her hopes collapsed when the man didn't show up, stopped sending her message, and not even a call. Maria was broken when Sister Eva noticed her health condition. Sister Eva use the chance and took the opportunity to convince her once to join the congregation.

To heal her broken heart, she accepts the invitation and starts to do the service and duty as a novitiate until she gets used to her daily routine and becomes lively again. Somehow, she forgets her missing boyfriend and because of the busy schedule, she truly forgets the man and moves on.

Maria is serving for over a year now and she is assigned to an important event. She is more excited because she has never been summoned to this big event in the nearby city. As usual, after the successful event, a closing ceremony in the form of a holy ceremony will follow.

Making sure they were all set and ready after the enclosing ceremony, Maria packed their things first to the service van. Running a bit late, Maria bows her head as she enters the huge cathedral and silently sits to the last end row of the chair, closes her eyes, and prays. Listening carefully, the commentator introduced the priest who will give a sermon and with that, Maria lifted her head with wide eyes.

Maria's heart is pounding hard and still hoping she is wrong. She can't even recognize the priest's face clearly because she is too far. Because it was sudden, there is no live video provided for the projector. But when the priest spoke and introduced himself once more, Maria's eyes became blurry. Indeed, he is Val Roberto, her long-lost boyfriend.

“No way,” Maria mumbled. The nun next to her overheard what she said.

“What do you mean Sister Maria?” asked the nun.

“Nothing. Please tell Sister Eva don't look for me,” she answered.

Without hesitation, Mari left the church while crying hard. She doesn't care at all, it is dark anyway and everyone is busy in the street. New to the place, she had nowhere to go until she reached an alley and spotted the blinking lights as if it was inviting her to go closer. She reads the sign.

Paradiso.

Her heart is beating fast when she faces the two guards with those big bodies and huge muscles. She has no idea that those are bouncers and for an unknown reason, the guys let her in. With big smiles on their faces, they welcome her.

“Welcome to Paradiso,” the man wearing sunglasses even at this night chuckles and giggles, staring at her from head to toe.

“This way to heaven, sister. Enjoy the pleasure,” said the other bouncer.

As soon as she entered the club entrance, the lady approached her forcing her to enter the VIP room, and here she is now.

Drowned from her emotion, Maria didn't notice the man she was curious about earlier, standing in front of her.

“First time and virgin?” he asked.

Maria jolted, opened her eyes, and looked at the handsome man in a black suit.

“What do you mean?” with a drunk tone, Maria still manages to ask.

“I'm your Master and I bought you,” he said. “I preferred virgins.”

Maybe because of the effect of the alcohol, Maria answers, “I am a virgin.”

Lorenzo chuckles with her silly answer.

“Judging from your look right now, the costume and that innocent messy face, I can say you are.”

The man caresses her lips with his thumb and smirks.

Maria squirmed avoiding the man's gaze asking, “Are you, Mr. Bianchi?”

“My name is Lorenzo and you are?”

“M-Maria, Sister Maria.”

Feeling amused, Lorenzo sits beside her, eyes sticking like glue on her angelic face.

Maria's face is a mess, wet with her tears. The man looks at her intently, takes out a handkerchief, and starts to wipe her tears. The man leans closer and Maria's body flinches and moves a little to distance herself but the man grabs her waist and pulls closer and blows her ear.

“Sister, I'm an atheist. And who prays during s*x? But sure you can kneel if you wish,” the man whispered, licking Maria's earlobes.

“W-What?” Maria feels goosebumps as soon as the wet tongue of the man touches her ear.

“I like your costume, are you new here?”

Maria just nods but is still clueless about what is exactly going on.

“Do you want to go to my place?”

For an unknown reason, Maria answered, “Yes, please. Take me.”