Chapter Twenty Seven

Valerie's POV

"Dad, you've repeated this statement like 102 times," I muttered, rolling my eyes as I poured juice into my mouth. Honestly, I had more assignments than I had love for Devon.

He sat across the room, his stare unblinking, and I could feel the weight of his expectations like a noose tightening around my neck. "Enough, Dad. I get it."

His jaw tightened as he let out a low sigh. "No, Val. You don’t get it. You don’t understand the gravity of this."

I scoffed. "What? That I’m supposed to destroy a family for you? For a damn vendetta that’s been going on since I was a little kid? It's not my fault you hate Devon’s family. You think I care?"

I threw myself onto the couch opposite him with a frustrated sigh, crossing my arms over my chest. His cold eyes watched me, never blinking, and I could practically feel the tension sizzling between us.

“Frankly speaking, Dad," I hesitated, breathing deeply, trying to keep my anger in check. "I love Devon. You want me to hurt him, break his family, and destroy everything just because you can’t get over whatever twisted thing you think they did to us. But you know what? I can’t do it."

His face twisted in fury, his eyes narrowing, the muscles in his neck flexing. His deep voice came out low and dangerous. "What exactly can you do, Val? You can't even win his heart. You can’t even do one simple thing for me."

I froze, every inch of me stiffening. He was wrong. He always was, but there was something about his words that hit me, deep in the pit of my stomach. My heart twisted, but I wasn’t about to let him know how badly it affected me. No.

"You don’t know anything about me, Dad," I shot back, my voice sharp as I pushed myself up from the couch, standing tall and defiant. "I don’t owe you this, I don’t owe you any of it. Just because you can’t move on doesn’t mean I have to help you destroy their lives. You have no idea what it’s like."

His eyes darkened, his fists clenching. "You think you’re better than me now? After everything I’ve done for you? You’ll do this, Val. You’ll do what I tell you, or you’ll regret it."

I took a step back, trying to hold my ground, but inside, I was starting to shake. I hated this. I hated how he always made me feel like I owed him something I didn’t. But my resolve was weakening with each word.

"I’m not going to hurt Devon," I said, my voice wavering despite my attempt to sound strong. "I’m not like you, and I won’t stoop that low. I love him, Dad. Even if he doesn't feel the same way—"

"Shut up!" he roared, cutting me off before I could finish. His chair scraped against the floor as he stood, his hands slamming onto the table in front of him. "I don’t care if you love him or not! He’s just another piece of the puzzle, Val. And you’re going to finish this, or I’ll make sure you regret ever thinking you could defy me."

I stepped back, fear rising in my chest, but I refused to let it show. “I don’t have to do anything you say. I’m not some pawn in your sick little game. You’re the one who has a problem with them, not me.”

“Yeah?” He stepped toward me, his voice dripping with venom. “Well, guess what? You will do this, or I’ll make sure Devon and his entire family know exactly what it means to cross me."

His threat hung in the air like a suffocating fog, and for a moment, I could barely breathe. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, but no matter how hard I tried to push down the fear and anger rising in me, it was there. His power was overwhelming, like a black hole sucking in everything around me.

“I can’t just betray him, Dad," I whispered, my voice barely audible. I hated how weak I sounded, but I couldn’t help it. My heart ached, the thought of turning on him unbearable. “I...I love him.”

“Love?” He spat the word like it was something disgusting. “You think love matters? This is bigger than you and your little crush on that boy. This is about loyalty, family, and power. Something you clearly don’t understand."

I bit my lip, feeling my heart break all over again. “You don’t know me. You think I’m just going to do whatever you say, like some little doll you can control? I won’t."

His eyes flashed with rage. Without warning, he swung his hand, the slap landing across my cheek with a sickening crack. My head snapped to the side, and I stumbled backward, my eyes stinging with a mixture of pain and disbelief.

"You will do as I say, Val," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "I raised you to be strong, but you’ve got to stop thinking like a child. You think you’re better than me? I’ll teach you who runs things around here."

I put my hand to my cheek, feeling the heat of the slap and the sting of his words, my entire body shaking with fury. "You’re nothing but a coward," I spat, my voice trembling with anger. "You want me to destroy everything I care about just for your stupid vendetta, and you think I’ll just go along with it? You don’t know a damn thing about love, or loyalty. You’re just a selfish, vengeful bastard."

He moved closer, his eyes full of fury, but I wasn’t afraid anymore. “You’re going to do this, Valerie, whether you like it or not. You’ll find a way to make him fall for you—make him love you, even if you have to lie to him. And when you’ve got him wrapped around your finger, you’ll do what I’ve asked. You’ll break him, and his family.”

“You really think I can do that?” I hissed, my teeth clenched in frustration. “You want me to lie to him, break his heart, ruin everything he’s ever known just so you can feel better about your stupid grudge?”

“I don’t care how you do it, just get yourself out of here and do what I said.”

I walked to him, shook my head, our eyes locked like a fierce battle. “I hate when you control me.” I whispered before exiting the room, at least he should have it all.