Chapter 53 Chapter 54

Chapter 53 Chapter 54
Luciano POV

After the stunt Leah pulled last night by walking into my room like she owned the place, I already knew whatever she had planned had failed the moment it started. She might think she was clever, might think she could just walk back into my life and take control, but she didn’t understand one thing—I wasn’t the same man she left behind. I had changed, and so had everything around me.

When I got to the dining room that morning, she was already there, seated like she belonged, giving orders to the maids as if they were nothing more than tools. The way she spoke to them irritated me, but I said nothing. I simply took my seat, waiting for breakfast to be served, my expression calm even though my mind was far from it. My eyes moved around the room without me realizing, searching, expecting to see her. Valerie. But she wasn’t there. That alone was enough to make something uneasy settle in my chest.

I tried to ignore it at first, telling myself it didn’t matter, but the longer I sat there, the more obvious her absence became. She was always here, always quiet, always present in her own way. Now… nothing. My fingers tapped lightly against the table as my gaze shifted again, scanning the room like she might suddenly appear. She didn’t. And that was when the unease turned into something else. Something closer to panic. I turned toward the housekeeper, my voice calm but firm.

“Why isn’t Valerie here for breakfast?” The woman froze for a second, clearly unsure of what to say. Her eyes flickered toward Leah, then back to me. That small action didn’t go unnoticed. Just as she was about to speak, Leah cut in, her voice smooth but filled with malicious instinct.

“I don’t think there’s any need to ask about her,” she said, like the topic didn’t matter. “Valerie isn’t important. She shouldn’t interfere in our lives, especially now that we’ll soon be together.” She smiled slightly, like she had already won. “Honestly, I thought by now you would have sent her away. That would give us more time.”

For a moment, I said nothing. I just closed my eyes briefly, taking a slow breath, trying to keep my composure. The words annoyed me more than I wanted to admit. Without responding, I pushed my chair back and stood up, ready to leave. I wasn’t interested in continuing that conversation. But Leah wasn’t done.

“Luciano!” she called out sharply. “Where are you going? You haven’t even had breakfast yet!”I ignored her.

I walked past her without a second glance and headed straight for the stairs. My focus was already elsewhere. Valerie. Something wasn’t right, and I needed to see for myself. I didn’t slow down, didn’t stop, even as I heard Leah calling my name again behind me. It didn’t matter. Right now, she didn’t matter.

When I got to Valerie’s door, I noticed it wasn’t fully locked. That alone made my chest tighten slightly. I pushed it open slowly and stepped inside, careful not to make too much noise. The room was quiet. Still. And there she was, lying on the bed, exactly where I expected her to be. Sleeping. Or at least it looked like she was. I stepped closer, my movements slower now, more controlled. For a moment, I just stood there, watching her. She looked different like this. Peaceful. Calm. Like none of the chaos around us could reach her.

Without thinking, I reached out and gently brushed the hair away from her face. My fingers lingered for a second longer than they should have. A small smile formed on my lips before I could stop it.

“You look beautiful when you sleep,” I murmured quietly, It wasn’t something I planned to say. It just came out.

Then suddenly

“What the hell are you doing here?”
Leah’s voice cut through the moment like a blade.

I turned sharply, my gaze landing on her instantly. For a split second, something dark flashed through me. The urge to throw her out, to shut her up, to end whatever this was but I held back. I had to. Losing control now would ruin everything. I needed patience.

Before I could say anything, Valerie stirred. Her eyes slowly opened, and she looked at us. At me. For a moment, our eyes met, and something passed between us. Something silent, something heavy. But she didn’t say a word. She didn’t react the way I expected. Instead, she simply turned to the other side of the bed, facing away from both of us, like we weren’t even there.

That… annoyed me more than anything else.

Without another word, I straightened up and walked out of the room, not even bothering to look at Leah again.“Luciano! Luciano!” she shouted, her footsteps quick behind me. “I’m talking to you! Don’t walk away from me!”

Right now, I wasn’t in the mood for anyone. Not her. Not her voice. Not her presence. All I needed was space. Something to distract me. Something to keep my mind from going back to Valerie and the way she had just ignored me like I didn’t matter.

I headed straight to my study, my steps fast, my jaw tight. I could hear Leah still behind me, still calling my name, still trying to get a reaction out of me. But I gave her nothing.

When I reached the door, I opened it quickly and stepped inside. Just as she got close I slammed the door right in her face.
The sound echoed through the hallway, loud and final.

I stood there for a moment, my back against the door, my eyes closing briefly as I let out a slow breath. My mind was still restless, still running, still stuck between anger. Leah thought she could walk back into my life and take control, but she was wrong. And soon
er or later, She was going to understand that.