Chapter 55 Chapter 56

Chapter 55 Chapter 56
Valerie POV

Leah was never going to learn. I knew that already. People like her never did, not until it was too late. They pushed and pushed, thinking they were untouchable, thinking they could control everything around them. But I didn’t have the strength to deal with her anymore. Not today. Not now. All I wanted was to leave.

This place was starting to feel suffocating, like the walls were closing in on me with every second I stayed. I couldn’t breathe properly, couldn’t think clearly. Everything felt too heavy. Without wasting another moment, I turned away from the kitchen and headed straight for the living room, my steps quick, my mind set on one thing—getting out.

I walked out of the mansion, the fresh air hitting my face almost immediately, but it didn’t help the way I thought it would. It didn’t calm me. It didn’t ease the tension in my chest. Instead, it only reminded me how trapped I really was. I had barely taken a few steps forward when I heard someone call out behind me. I stopped and turned, already knowing who it might be. Damian.

“Madam, you can’t leave,” he said firmly as he approached me. “Not without Luciano’s permission.”

A scoff escaped my lips as I shook my head slowly. Of course. This was all part of his control. His rules. His way of keeping me exactly where he wanted me. It was like a game to him, and I was just another piece he could move around whenever he pleased. I didn’t say anything to Damian at first. I just looked at him, letting the silence stretch between us, before turning away again like he hadn’t spoken at all, I started walking toward the gate.

“Madam—” he tried again, stepping forward to stop me, but I ignored him. I wasn’t going to stay. Not this time. Not because someone told me to. If I stayed, it would be my choice, not his.

I walked past the gate, out of the mansion grounds, even though I could feel Damian trailing behind me from a distance. He didn’t try to grab me again, but I knew he wasn’t going to leave either. He was watching. Waiting. Ready to step in if anything went wrong, and then it happened.

A car pulled up right in front of me.
The sound of it alone made me stop.
My body went still as the car door opened, and the moment I saw who stepped out, everything inside me tightened, Noah Boneman.

I froze.

My eyes quickly scanned the area, searching, making sure no one else was watching, but my gaze always returned to him. He looked pleased. Too pleased. A slow smile spread across his lips as he walked toward me like he had just found something he had been looking for.

“Valerie,” he said smoothly. “It’s nice seeing you again.”

There was something in his eyes that made my stomach twist. Something cold. Something dangerous. It wasn’t a friendly visit. I knew that immediately. But I forced myself to stay calm. I knew Damian was still close. I wasn’t alone.

“What do you want?” I asked, my voice steady even though my body felt tense. “We are no longer engaged, so why are you following me? What do you want from me?”He stopped a few steps away from me, his gaze never leaving mine.

“Maybe you should come with me,” he said. “This is the perfect time for you to leave. You know I still want you as my bride. We can still live peacefully together.”

A scoff escaped my lips before I could stop it. Peacefully? With him? That was the last thing that would ever happen. I knew Noah too well. I knew the kind of man he was, the kind of games he played. This wasn’t about love. It was about control. Power. Winning.

I had become part of a game I never agreed to play and I hated it.

“I’m sorry,” I said, stepping back slightly but keeping my eyes on him. “Luciano treats me well. And as you know, we’re already engaged. Or did you forget?”The moment the words left my mouth, I saw it, The change in his expression, The anger.

It flashed across his eyes so quickly, so sharply, that it almost made me take another step back. But I didn’t. I held my ground.

He moved suddenly, charging toward me, his hand lifting slightly like he was about to grab me. Before he could reach me, Damian appeared, out of nowhere.

He stepped between us and grabbed Noah’s arm, stopping him instantly. The tension between them was immediate, sharp, like something dangerous was about to happen. For a moment, I thought it would escalate, that things would get out of control but then Noah stopped, He looked at Damian, then at me, And slowly… he smiled.

That same unsettling smile, He pulled his hand back, straightened himself, and looked at me one last time, like he wasn’t done, like this wasn’t over.Then he turned, walked back to his car, and got in.

Within seconds, the car drove off, leaving nothing but silence behind. I stood there for a moment, my heart still racing, my thoughts scattered. The air felt different now. Heavier, This wasn’t over, not even close.

I turned around slowly, heading back toward the mansion. But before I walked too far, I stopped and glanced back at Damian, who was still following behind me.

“Don’t tell Luciano about this,” I said quietly. “What happened here… stays between us.”He didn’t respond, not a single word, but I already knew.

He wasn’t going to keep it to himself.
And strangely I didn’t even care.
Because at the end of the day, Luciano had Leah now, and whatever happened next, I would face it alone.