Chapter 105 YOUR LIFE.
\~~~RAINA.
I couldn't stand to stay in that house one more second. It felt like a stranger's place now, full of echoes from a life that wasn't mine anymore.
My heart pounded as I walked straight to the closet and grabbed a small travel bag. My movements were quick, and almost frantic, like if I slowed down I would change my mind. I packed only what I needed. Clothes for a few days, my toiletries, and nothing more.
I zipped the bag shut and took a deep breath. The room smelled like Luciano's cologne, a sharp reminder of everything I was walking away from.
I slung the bag over my shoulder and stepped out, closing the door softly behind me. The hallway seemed longer than usual, each step heavier. When I reached the living room, the butler was there dusting the shelves. She turned and saw me, her eyes widening a bit at the bag.
"Are you going somewhere, Mrs. Moretti?" she asked, her voice polite but curious.
Mrs. Moretti.
The name hit me harder than I expected.
For six months, that name had followed me everywhere. It had been forced on me, stitched into my identity whether I liked it or not. And now… now I was finally shedding it.
"Did Luciano go out?" I asked, ignoring her question for a moment.
"Yes, ma'am. He left just a few minutes ago," she replied, setting down her cloth.
I nodded, forcing a calm look. "I am going on a trip. Luciano knows about it. I will be back in a few days."
She tilted her head slightly, then nodded back. "Of course, ma'am. Safe travels." She bowed a little, the way she always did, and stepped aside. I could feel her eyes on me as I walked to the front door.
Part of me wanted to tell her the truth that I might not come back at all but I didn't.
Outside, the sun was dipping low, casting long shadows across the driveway. Gabriel stood by the car, his tall frame straight as always in his dark suit. I fixed my gaze on him for a moment longer than necessary. He noticed immediately, bowed his head respectfully, and then opened the back door for me.
He bowed his head as I approached. "Good morning, ma'am." He opened the back door without a word, waiting for me to slide in. I did, the leather seat cool against my skin. He closed the door gently and got into the driver's seat. The engine hummed to life, and we pulled away from the house, the gates closing behind us like a final goodbye.
The silence stretched out as we drove down the road.
I stared out the window, watching the trees blur by. Finally, Gabriel cleared his throat.
“Do you want to listen to music, madam?” he asked softly.
“No,” I replied. “I am okay.”
The silence returned and this one felt different and heavier.
After a while, he spoke again, hesitant this time.
“Y… you’re leaving?” he asked, like he wasn’t sure he was allowed to.
I let out a slow breath.
“You know everything too, don’t you?” I asked.
He met my eyes through the rearview mirror and nodded once.
I smiled softly, though it didn’t reach my eyes, then turned to stare out the window.
The city passed by in a blur, but my eyes burned. I blinked hard, trying to fight the tears threatening to fall again.
"I know it's not my place to say this," Gabriel started, his voice dropping as he looked away from the mirror. He paused, choosing his words carefully and I stayed
“But just because you didn’t live the way you should have doesn’t mean you didn’t live your life,” he said carefully. “You did, and it mattered.”
That was when the tears finally fell.
I sniffed quietly, wiping my face with the sleeve of my sweatshirt.
"Of course, I haven't known you long," he continued, his tone steady now. "But I'd tell you this, the woman I drove to work every day was Raina Monroe, not Talia. It was you, madam. Always you."
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat aching. His kindness cracked something inside me, but I couldn't find words. Instead, I closed my eyes, letting the motion of the car rock me. The tears kept coming, silent and steady, as the miles slipped away.
I didn’t trust myself to speak. If I opened my mouth, everything would come spilling out, so I stayed silent and let his words sink into me.
They hurt.
But they also comforted me in a strange way.
The rest of the drive passed quietly.
When we finally arrived at my parents’ house, the car slowed to a stop in front of the gate. My stomach twisted the moment I saw the familiar building.
I stepped out of the car.
“Thank you, Gabriel,” I said, forcing a smile. “Thank you so much.”
He nodded, his expression gentle but sad. “Take care, ma'am.”
I turned and walked toward the gate.
Each step felt heavier than the last but regardless, I took a deep breath and went inside.
The house smelled the same, looked the same. Yet, something about it felt colder, less welcoming.
I braced myself for what was to come.
It was time to settle this mess and everything between me and my parents. The lies., the manipulation and the silence.
I had told myself I was ready.
But the moment I walked into the living room and saw my father sitting there, his face cold and unreadable, I knew the truth.
Maybe I wasn’t ready after all.
Before I could open my mouth and before I could even say hello, he spoke.
“You are not welcome in this house, Raina,” he said flatly. “Everything that happened was your doing. All of it. Your mother and I knew nothing about it.”
“W… what?”
“You lied,” he said. “You schemed. You embarrassed this family.”
My heart pounded violently in my chest.
“I…” I tried to speak.
“You ruined everything,” he cut in. “And now you want to come here and hide?”
Something inside me cracked.
“So… that is it?” I whispered. “You are just going to pretend you had nothing to do with it?”
His eyes hardened even more.
“Leave,” he said flatly.
The word echoed in my head.
I felt stupid for thinking this place would save me. Stupid for believing, even for a second, that my parents would protect me.
I turned slowly and walked back toward the door.
My chest hurts.
My heart hurt.
And for the first time since everything began, I truly felt alone.