Chapter 26 Chapter 27
Valerie POV
I didn’t know how long I had been asleep, but I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside my window. Their soft noise pulled me slowly out of sleep, and as my eyes opened, reality hit me all at once.
It was morning.
Today was the day, my heart skipped as I sat up in bed, the weight of the moment pressing heavily on my chest. Today, I would finally get the freedom I had longed for. Today, I was leaving the mansion. Everything we had planned was already in motion, and all I had to do now was play my part. I had to act normal, calm, unaware until the right moment came.
I couldn’t afford mistakes.
I rushed into the bathroom, my movements quick and nervous. I took a fast shower, my mind racing the entire time. When I was done, I changed into something comfortable and simple, something that wouldn’t draw attention. I needed to look normal. Ordinary. Like I wasn’t planning my escape.
When I went downstairs to the dining room, I was surprised to see that Luciano wasn’t there.
I paused for a moment, scanning the room, but his seat was empty. I shrugged it off. I didn’t want to ask questions. Not now. Especially not after the previous night, when he had tried to give me that diamond necklace like nothing was wrong.
Like gifts could fix everything,It had been useless anyway. My mind was already made up.
I sat down and had my breakfast quietly, forcing myself to eat even though my stomach felt tight. Every sound seemed louder than usual. Every movement felt watched. I kept reminding myself to stay calm.
Then something on the table caught my attention.
The newspaper, I reached for it without thinking, flipping it open casually. But the moment my eyes landed on the headline, my breath caught in my throat.
My father’s friend, the chairman of MJ Enterprise, Dead Shock slammed into me so hard I felt dizzy. My hands trembled as I stared at the words, my mind refusing to process what I was seeing. A deep sense of unease washed over me, cold and heavy.
“How is this possible?” I whispered to myself.
I quickly flipped through the pages, searching for more details, my heart pounding faster with every line I read. But nothing made sense. The article was vague. Too clean. Too quiet. It spoke of an accident, but there were no real explanations.
No details,No clarity, If he was dead, then someone had a hand in it. I knew that much. Men like him didn’t just disappear without reason. My chest tightened as a terrible thought crossed my mind.
This wasn’t random.
Fear crept into my veins, slow and sharp. Something about this felt deeply wrong. And the timing… It was too perfect. Too close to my escape.
I folded the newspaper slowly, my fingers stiff, my thoughts spinning out of control. Was this a warning? A message? Or just another reminder of how dangerous the world I was trying to leave really was?
I swallowed hard and forced myself to breathe.
No matter what this meant, I couldn’t stop now.
Today was still the day, and nothing was going to take that away from me.
I took a slow sip of tea, the warmth doing nothing to calm the storm inside me. My eyes moved quickly around the room, sharp and alert, searching for anyone who might be watching. When I was certain no one was there, my heart began to race.
This was it.
I set the cup down carefully and reached for the fruit knife on the table, my fingers shaking slightly. Every second felt heavier than the last. Time was running out, and I couldn’t afford to hesitate now. I had gone over this in my head again and again. I knew what I had to do.
Just as I lifted my hand “Miss Valerie!”
The sharp sound of her voice froze me in place.
My heart slammed violently against my chest as fear rushed through me. I quickly lowered my hand and placed the knife back on the table just as the housekeeper rushed toward me. The thought of being caught hit me all at once, stealing my breath.
“Are you trying to get us all killed, Miss Valerie?” she cried, her voice filled with panic and worry.
Before I could say anything, she grabbed the knife and pulled it away from me, holding it tightly as if afraid I might reach for it again. I bit my lip hard, my heart still pounding. I had been caught but it didn’t matter.
Nothing was going to stop me today.
Time was slipping through my fingers, moving faster than I wanted. Every minute felt like torture. I was growing impatient, restless, and desperate. I needed to leave. I had to leave. Yet even as my plan moved forward, my thoughts kept drifting back to the news I had read earlier.
Matteo, And his son.The image of the newspaper headline burned in my mind, refusing to fade. Something about it felt wrong. Too sudden. Too convenient. My chest tightened as a terrible question surfaced again.
Did Luciano do it?Did he really go that far just to get back at my father?
I shook my head slightly, trying to push the thought away. A part of me refused to believe it. Luciano was dangerous, controlling, and cold but murder? Killing his own uncle and his son?
No. That felt impossible, didn't it?
The housekeeper stood there for a moment longer, watching me closely, as if trying to read my thoughts. Her grip on the knife loosened only when she seemed satisfied that I wouldn’t try anything again. Without another word, she turned and left the room, taking the knife with her.
As soon as she was gone, I released the breath I had been holding.
My hands trembled as I rested them on the table. Everything felt like it was closing in on me: the mansion, the secrets, the danger lurking behind every smile. I was trapped in a place where even my thoughts didn’t feel safe.
But I couldn’t stop now. Whatever Luciano was capable of, whatever secrets he was hiding, I needed to get out before I became another story buried in the pages of a newspaper. Fear pressed against my chest, but beneath it was something stronger.