Chapter 37 Chapter 38
Valeria POV
I had thought everything would go smoothly today.I wasn’t in the mood for any drama, and after everything that had happened, I had already accepted my fate,at least for now. Fighting constantly would only exhaust me further. For the moment, I had decided to stay quiet and observe.
But deep down, one thing was certain.
I would find a way to leave this place someday.I had gotten myself into this complicated situation, and when the time finally came, I would walk out of it on my own terms. No one would control my life forever.
Dinner had started peacefully enough, and for a brief moment I believed the evening would pass without any trouble.But then the unexpected happened.A guest arrived.
And not just any guest.Luciano’s fiancée.
The word itself sounded strange in my head.
Fiancée.
I had never once heard about her before, not from the press, not from the media, not even through rumors. Considering Luciano’s influence and status, it seemed almost impossible that something like that could remain hidden.Yet there she was.
Leah.
She had walked into the dining room with a confident smile, as if she belonged there, as if she had every right to sit beside Luciano.For some strange reason, the moment I saw her, something twisted painfully inside my chest.
It was a dull ache, a feeling I couldn’t properly explain. And the worst part was that I didn’t understand why I felt that way.
Was I… jealous?The thought made me want to laugh at myself.
As dinner continued, Leah tried several times to start a conversation with me. Her tone was sweet, her smile polite, but I could see the curiosity hidden behind her words.She wanted information.About Luciano.About me.About whatever relationship existed between the two of us.
But I refused to give her the satisfaction.
Instead of answering her questions, I kept my responses short and distant.Eventually, I simply stood up and excused myself.
Now, as I walked down the quiet hallway toward my bedroom, the sound of her laughter still echoed faintly behind me.
I let out a soft scoff.
She had tried so hard during dinner,trying to appear friendly, asking questions disguised as casual conversation.But I could see right through her.The moment I stepped inside my room, everything suddenly felt quiet.
I closed the door behind me and leaned my back against it, letting out a slow breath.For a few seconds, I simply stood there, staring at the floor.Then I pushed myself away from the door and slowly walked toward the mirror.My reflection stared back at me.My eyes looked tired, Confused.
Without realizing it, my fingers slowly brushed across my lips,And suddenly, the memory of that strange dream I had the first night I stepped into this mansion returned to my mind.The dream where Luciano had kissed me, My heart skipped a beat.
“What is happening to me, Valeria?” I whispered quietly.“You can’t be in love with him. That’s impossible.”Luciano was supposed to be my enemy.Everything between us was nothing more than a contract. A simple agreement that allowed me to escape the arranged marriage waiting for me back home.That was all it was supposed to be.
Nothing more.
And yet, seeing him tonight with that woman made my skin crawl.The way she touched him.The way she spoke as if she still belonged in his life.
It made something inside me burn.
Part of me had wanted to say something during dinner, to confront him right there in front of everyone.But after everything that had happened between us, I didn’t have the right.Did I?Maybe I had been too harsh on him before.
Maybe I had judged him too quickly.
Or maybe I was simply confusing my feelings.Why did it suddenly hurt so much to imagine him with someone else?I had never wanted him.
I had never cared about him.At least… that was what I kept telling myself.Frustrated with my own thoughts, I threw myself onto the bed.
The mattress dipped beneath my weight as I stared up at the ceiling.I closed my eyes, hoping sleep would come quickly and silence the chaos inside my head.But sleep refused to come.Minutes passed,Then more.
Eventually, I groaned softly and sat up.
My throat felt dry, and suddenly all I could think about was water.I reached for the glass on the bedside table, but the jug beside it was completely empty.
With a tired sigh, I pushed the blanket aside and stepped out of bed. The cold marble floor beneath my feet sent a small shiver through my body as I walked toward the door.
The mansion was quiet at this hour.
Most of the staff had already gone to sleep, and the long hallway was dimly lit.
When I finally reached the kitchen and stepped inside, I froze.Luciano was standing there.And he was shirtless.For a moment, my brain completely stopped working.
The soft kitchen lights cast shadows across his broad shoulders and muscular chest, highlighting every defined line of his body.Without meaning to, my eyes wandered.From his shoulders, to his chest.
Then lower, realizing what I was doing, I quickly shook my head and forced myself to look away.But it was already too late.
He had noticed.
“Take a picture,” Luciano said lazily, lifting the glass of whiskey in his hand before taking a slow sip. “It’ll last longer.”
Heat rushed instantly to my face.
“I wasn’t staring,” I muttered quickly.
He raised an eyebrow.
“Of course you weren’t,” he replied dryly. “What is it? Do you want to touch them?”
My eyes widened in shock.
“Absolutely not,” I said immediately, shaking my head in disapproval.I quickly walked past him and grabbed the jug from the counter, filling it with water as fast as possible. The sooner I left the kitchen, the better.
But just as I turned to leave, something unexpected happened.Luciano suddenly grabbed my arm.Before I could react, he pulled me toward him.
I stumbled forward and crashed directly into his chest.The jug nearly slipped from my hands.For a moment, everything around me froze.
His body was warm,My hands instinctively pressed against his chest as I tried to steady myself. My heart began pounding wildly against my ribs.And suddenly,I forgot how to breathe.