Chapter 125 Untitled Chapter

Chapter 125 Untitled Chapter
ANDREA

“I didn’t steal anything,” I repeat, “Alessandro is not an object, he chose me.” I realize that was the wrong thing to say.

But it distracted her, which is a win, Valentina’s face twisted with rage. “You’re right, he chose you because he doesn't know any better. You're the problem,” she sneered. Then she pulled out a gun.

“If you’re gone, Alessandro will grieve. And then he’ll come back to me. We’ll raise them together, like we were always meant to.”

Adamo started to cry as she held him too tight.

“You’re scaring them, Valentina,” I said cautiously, staring at her every move. I know she's at a very dangerous edge right now and I don't want to tip her over when the life of my son is hanging by a thread.

Both Alessia and Adamo are now crying.
Valentina flinched. Then her voice turned syrupy again.

“Don’t cry, my love. Mommy’s here.”

I watched her cautiously, like the crazy person she was, waiting for my opportunity.

It was almost time. I just need to stall a little bit. Fortunately, Alessia has gone back to sleep and Adamo has quieted down. I released a shaky breath when she placed him back in the bassinet.

“You know I've been wondering, how did you get out of the psychiatric hospital?”

“I was never meant to go there, I wasn't crazy,” she shouts, her eyes wild. “It was all your fault, I wasn't crazy, I wasn't.”

“Maybe not,” I cut in before the brain rot wins. “But you still need help.” My voice was soft, tone careful. “This isn’t love, Valentina. If you love Alessandro as you claimed, you'd never kidnap his children.”

Valentina's lips curled up. “You don't understand anything, you don’t deserve them, even Alessandro thinks so.”

I frown, “Alessandro would never say something like that,” I argue.

“He doesn't have to say it, I could hear it in his voice when he said he was tired too.” She smirks, “Guess, he's finally seeing you for what you are.”

“You were listening in?” I asked incredulously, “That's how you knew we weren't at home the day you kidnapped them?” It wasn't a question, because I've already suspected it.

“How? Who helped you?”

She shrugged, “You'd be surprised what I can do,” she muttered proudly.

I really won't, but I didn't say anything, just listened.

“Your nanny, I kidnapped her brother, then I threatened her.”

My eyes fluttered closed. Oh Kayla!

I swallowed. “And then? Did you let her brother go?”

Valentina cackles. “I'm not a fucking idiot, of course not. I killed the asshole right after she did everything I wanted, and then I killed her when I got there.”

“But she wasn't the only one. I know you can't have pulled this off alone.”

For a moment, something dark flickered in Valentina's eyes, then she smiled and sighed.

“You're right, I had to exchange a very important piece of information for that bastard Alexei to help me, he gave me some men, money, and vehicles and refuse to help me further, the fucking asshole.”

She walked closer until she was standing before me, her gun pointed at my chest.
A shaky breath whooshes out of my mouth.

As I swallowed hard. I was still on my knees, with the two guards pressing on my shoulders to keep me there, slowly I reached for the switchblade I've hidden in my socks and took it out.

I glanced at Meredith and she was on her feet, fear nearly choking me as I sent prayers to whoever will listen that she shouldn't be noticed. Valentina’s back was to her.

“You think he’ll forgive you for this?” My voice shook, but I forced myself to speak. “He will never forgive you. I'm the mother of his children; he's going to kill you.”

“I'm going to take my chances.” Valentina smiled slowly. “From what I'd heard, he doesn't seem to love you all that much. I'm sure he'll forget about you, then he will forgive me, and we'll all live happily ever after.”

I nodded at Meredith, and she sprang into action. Slipping behind one of the guards, she grabbed a beer bottle from the floor and smashed it over his head. In one swift motion, she seized his gun and fired at one of the men pinning me down on my knees.

I drive my switchblade straight through the guard’s foot, steel slicing clean through bone and tendon. His scream rips through the air, raw, animal, unbearable. I wrench the blade free without hesitation and slam it into his throat.

He gurgled, warm blood dripping over my hands, splattering my skin as he collapsed in a choking heap at my feet. Before his body even hits the ground, I’m already moving, throwing myself between my children’s bassinet and the crazed woman, blade raised, ready to kill again.

Valentina couldn't decide her target, pointing her gun at Meredith, and then back at me, as she walked backward.

Alessandro Logan, Alessio and his men barge inside. Her eyes went from crazy to deranged in a split second.

“You deceived me,” she snarled and fired. Pain seared my shoulder as the bullet punched through, the switchblade in my hand falls, and Alessandro yelled

“No!”

Valentina was right before me, the cold nuzzles of her gun kissing my forehead.

I glanced at Alessandro, and his eyes were wild with rage. Blood soaked through my shirt and between my fingers as I pressed on my shoulder, every inhale sent waves of pain through me, but I'd rather me than my kids.

“Put your gun down before I fire again. I don't care if you kill me, but she's coming with me.”

“Put all your weapons down,” Alessandro ordered. They all did, and I understand his panic.

Valentina was like a caged animal right now. And when you corner an animal it goes wild.

“How dare you lie to me? How dare you?” she yells, her spit flying and touching my face.

“You bugged our home and we used it to set a trap for you,” I shrugged. “Tit for tat.”

“How did you know?” She dug a manicured finger deep into my bleeding wound, and I moaned painfully.

“Valentina?” Alessandro warned.

“Stay back, or I swear I'll fucking blow her brains out.” Alessandro gritted his teeth so hard, I was afraid he'd snap his own jaw.

“Alessandro and I suspected you bugged our home, and bribed some of our guards, but bribe alone wouldn't have gotten you anywhere. Alessandro pays his guards extremely well, they respect and fear him, so I suspect it was either Kayla or the new guard.”

My eyes narrowed, “You slept with him, didn't you?” She glares at me with so much hate.

“Jealous, I still got it?” she spat. I chuckle, shaking my head.

“Just disgusted, you claim to love Alessandro and yet in the next breath you're sleeping with one of his guards, you're just trash, Valentina.”

“Shut the fuck up, you know absolutely nothing about Alessandro and me,” she yelled, maniacally. “I love him and he fucking loves me.”

She glanced at Alessandro, who was still at the stairs where he'd come down. “Tell her, Alessandro, tell her our love is true, that nothing will come between us, not even this whore.”

Her voice was so soft, as though she wasn't the one screaming and yelling earlier. “I waited for you, Alessandro, me and our little Alessandra, our daughter, but you never came.”

She waves her hand. “But that's all in the past, we're together now. Come to me, I still have our wedding rings, put it on my finger, marry, make me your wife and forget this whore.”

“It's over for you Valentina, accept it, I'd rather burn my hand than have your ring on my finger.”

Her finger tightened on the trigger, her face twisted with madness. “So your fight with her earlier was just a ruse?”

“Yes, and a confirmation.”

“Do you love me Alessandro?”

“No, I never loved you Valentina, what we had was a fling.”

“I had your baby Alessandro and then I lost her too.”

“I’m sorry, that she's gone.”

“Would it have changed anything, if she was alive.”

“No, I would have cared for her, protected her, but I wouldn't give up Andrea or our kids for you.” She glared at him, then sighed.

““Give me the children and I might show you mercy.”

She smiled, “You’re not going to kill me?”

“What you need is help, Valentina,” I could hear the lie in his voice.

“So, arrest and go back to the psychiatrist?”

“Yes,” he lied again.

“I'd rather die, than go back there,” she suddenly spat, everything happening so fast.

“And if I can't have you,” she sneered, her gun still trained on me. She takes something out of her pocket with her other hand. My eyes widened when I realized it was a remote.

“Then no one...”

Alessandro sprang into action, warm blood splash across my face as he fired, his bullet slamming against the side of her head and out the other way.

Valentina drops dead, without a single word, the gun in her hand firing into the air, fortunately away from everyone.

Alessandro's eyes locked on me as he crossed the room in three strides and dropped to his knees in front of me.

“I should never have left you come alone,” he gritted as I fell into his arms.

“I'm glad you trust me enough to do this. Now I can't even complain about you pushing me hard through training, it's what actually saved us.”

“And I'm so damn proud of you, Andrea.”

“The kids Alessandro,” I whispered, "I'm starting to feel dizzy.”

“Here,” someone handed one twin to him while they held the other near my face. Adamo and Alessia were both awake, and they are safe.

“Our babies are safe,” I whispered low.

“You saved them,” Alessandro murmured, kissing my forehead, his voice choked with emotion. “No, we both did.”

Darkness swarmed at the edges of my eyes, and slowly dragged me down, drowning Alessandro's yells with it.