Chapter 52 Chapter 53
Chapter 52 Chapter 53
Valerie POV
I didn’t sleep that night. The moment Luciano said Leah was staying in the mansion, something inside me refused to settle. My mind wouldn’t stop racing, my body wouldn’t relax, and no matter how many times I turned on the bed, sleep stayed far away from me. It felt like the walls were closing in, like the air itself had become too heavy to breathe.
Leah. In the same house. Under the same roof. It didn’t make sense, and yet it was real. I felt a cold wave of fear run through me. What if she tried something? What if she pushed things too far? She wasn’t someone I could trust, not even for a second. That girl was unpredictable, desperate, and desperate people always did the worst things.
I turned again, pulling the sheets tighter around me, but it didn’t help. My thoughts kept spinning. I had to leave. That was the only clear thing in my mind. I couldn’t stay here anymore. Not with Leah around. Not with everything becoming more complicated than it already was. And if Luciano had already gone back to her… then that made things even easier. There was no reason for me to remain here. No reason to stay in the middle of whatever they had going on. If they wanted each other, then fine. That was their business. It had nothing to do with me.
So why did it bother me?That question refused to leave me alone. I frowned slightly, staring at the ceiling as my chest rose and fell unevenly. Why was I even thinking about Luciano? Why did the thought of him being with Leah make something twist painfully inside me? I didn’t care. I shouldn’t care.
This was never real to begin with. It was all supposed to be a contract, something temporary, something simple. But somewhere along the way, things changed. And now I don't even understand my own feelings anymore.
My heart kept racing like it was trying to tell me something I didn’t want to hear.
By the time morning came, I was exhausted. My eyes burned, my body felt heavy, and my mind was still restless. I had barely slept. I lay there, staring blankly, just waiting for my body to finally give in. And just when I was about to drift off, just when my eyes began to close.
A knock.
I groaned softly, forcing myself to sit up. My head felt light, and my body resisted every movement as I dragged myself out of bed. Whoever it was, they had picked the worst possible time. I walked slowly toward the door, barely awake, my hand reaching for the handle.
I opened it, and froze, Leah stood right in front of me, smiling.
My brows furrowed instantly, irritation mixing with disbelief. Of all people… it had to be her.
Without thinking, I tried to shut the door, but she was faster. She pushed her leg forward, blocking it, then forced her way inside like she owned the place. My grip tightened as I stepped back, watching her as she walked around the room, looking at everything like she was inspecting it.
She took her time.
Then she turned to me.
“I think this room suits me better,” she said casually, like she was discussing something small. “I don’t want to stay far from Luciano. So you’ll have to move out.”For a second, I just stared at her, Then I scoffed.
I turned, walked to the door, and pulled it open again, pointing outside.“Get out,” I said simply.But of course, she didn’t move.
Instead, she smiled wider, like she had been waiting for my reaction.
“Oh, Valerie,” she said, her voice dripping with mock pity. “Don’t make this hard for yourself. I told you before,you were nothing but a toy. Something he played with for a while. And now he’s done.”Her words echoed in the room, but instead of anger. I burst into laughter.
It filled the room, loud and unfiltered, and for a moment, even she looked surprised. I held my stomach slightly, shaking my head as I tried to control myself. This girl… she really believed what she was saying. It was almost funny.
When I finally stopped, I wiped the corner of my eye and looked at her.
“You talk too much,” I said calmly.
I wasn’t in competition with her. I never had been. I never wanted Luciano. Not like that. Whatever this was, whatever had been happening, it was never my choice. He was the one who kept me here. He was the one who turned a simple agreement into something else entirely. And now she was standing here, acting like she had won something.
I didn’t care enough to argue.“Are you done?” I asked, my fingers tapping lightly against the door handle.She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she walked over and sat on the bed, crossing her legs like she planned to stay there forever.
“I’m not done,” she said firmly. “I want you out of this room. And don’t think I’m joking. I don’t joke about things like this. If I come back and you’re still here, I won’t ask again. I’ll force you out.”Something inside me snapped.
I walked toward her slowly, my expression calm, but my eyes sharp. She must have seen something in my face because she leaned back slightly, her confidence shaking just a little. I stopped right in front of her and leaned down, my face just inches away from hers.
A slow, vicious smile spread across my lips.“It seems you don’t know who I am,” I said quietly.My voice was soft, but every word carried weight.“You walked into my room, made demands, and thought I would just obey you?” I tilted my head slightly.
“Let me make something clear.”My gaze locked onto hers.
“If you push me too far… I won’t hesitate. And if something happens to you in this room, it won’t be called murder.”I watched the fear flicker in her eyes.Without another word, she stood up quickly and rushed out of the room. This time, she didn’t look back.The moment she was gone, I shut the door firmly and leaned against it, letting out a slow breath.
I walked back to the bed and sat down, running a hand through my hair. I didn’t bother going downstairs that day. I didn’t want to see them together. I didn’t want to see her anywhere near him. It irritated me more than I wanted to admit.
And that was the problem, because deep down Something was wrong. I could feel it growing inside me, getting stronger with every second
. And no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, I couldn’t.