Chapter 198 Mother

Chapter 198 Mother
Serena’s POV

The sound of her sobbing didn’t just break the moment—

It shattered it.

Everything went still around me as my eyes locked on Valentina who was on her knees with her shoulders shaking violently as if whatever she carried inside her had finally become too heavy to hold.

My chest tightened. This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t grief. This was… a complete meltdown.

I slowly pulled away from Dante, though his hand lingered on mine for a second longer before letting go.

Then stepped forward carefully, like I was approaching a glass that could shatter at any second.

“Val,” I tried calling but my voice came out softer than I intended.

She didn’t look up. Her fingers were curled into the floor as if she was trying to hold herself together.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered with her words barely audible.

But they hit anyway.

I frowned slightly, taking another step closer. “Valentina,” I said again, slower this time. “What are you talking about?”

She shook her head, her sobs deepening. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

Then—

She lifted her head. And her eyes didn’t meet mine this time, they went straight to Dante.

“I’m sorry,” she said again, but this time it wasn’t broken—it was heavy.

“For all the years,” she added.

And Dante frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Her lips trembled. “For all the years I turned my back on you,” she continued, her voice cracking again. “For all the years I ran from you… even when I knew…”

She choked on the words. “...that you were my own blood.”

Silence fell so hard it felt suffocating.

My breath hung in my throat as Dante didn’t move. Didn’t blink.

“I don’t understand,” he repeated, slower this time.

And Valentina let out a shaky breath.

Then she nodded faintly, like she had expected that. “I know,” she whispered. “I know you don’t…”

She wiped her face with trembling fingers, but the tears didn’t stop. “They told you your mother died.”

Dante’s jaw tightened slightly. “That’s what I was told.”

Her lips parted. Then closed again. Like she was struggling to push the words out.

Then—

“She didn’t,” Valentina muttered quietly.

Then silence followed heavily.

“I didn’t,” she said, her voice barely holding together as something inside me shifted.

Dante pulled his brows together. “What?”

Valentina let out a broken breath. “I am your mother.”

The words didn’t echo through the room, they didn’t explode.

They just—

Dropped.

And everything inside the room changed.

Dante took a step back, not overly dramatic, not loud. Just more on instinct.

“No,” he muttered and it came out flat, like he himself was struggling to believe it.

Valentina nodded slowly, tears slipping down her face again. “Yes.”

Silence stretched, then she broke it again.

“Your father had a wife before me,” she began, her voice trembling but steadier now—like she had crossed the hardest part.

“And she was my friend.”

That made Dante’s head lift sharply.

“And she couldn’t conceive,” Valentina continued. “They tried… for years.”

Her gaze dropped. “She later brought me into the house, just to take care of things.”

I felt my breath slow.

“She trusted me,” Valentina added, her voice cracking again. “Trusted me to help… to take care of things… to be there for her.”

A pause that pain filled immediately.

“But your father…” she continued, her voice tightening, “he was frustrated. Angry, and desperate for an heir.”

She folded her fingers tightly. “And one night… one mistake…”

She shut her eyes briefly. “You happened.”

Silence. Then—

“I got pregnant,” she whispered.

Dante’s jaw tightened hard.

“And when it happened,” she continued, “everything broke.”

Her voice dropped low. “He sent her away.”

My stomach twisted.

“She didn’t deserve that,” Valentina whispered. “She didn’t deserve any of it.”

Her breathing grew heavy again.

“I refused to take her place,” she said quickly. “I refused to become his wife. I couldn’t… not after what happened… not after what we did to her.”

Dante’s fingers curled slightly at his sides.

“But I couldn’t leave either,” she added. “Because of you.”

A pause. Then—

“I carried you, took care of you,” she whispered and stopped again.

And silence wrapped around us again.

“And when you were born… I told myself I would stay just long enough to make sure you were okay,” she added.

Her lips trembled. “But your father… he insisted I remain.”

She laughed weakly through her tears.

“Not as his wife… but as… something else. Something with no name.”

I swallowed hard.

“I stayed,” she said. “I stayed in that house… and watched you grow.”

Dante’s eyes flickered slightly, he looked away and to the ceiling for “You were always so strong,” she whispered. “Even as a child.”

A second passed before she continued. “But when your father died…”

Her voice broke again. “I couldn’t do it.”

Dante’s gaze hardened slightly. “Do what?”

“Be your mother,” she said.

The honesty in that line cut deeper than anything else she had said.

“I didn’t have the strength,” she continued. “I didn’t have the right… not after everything.”

Her shoulders shook again. “So I hid.”

Silence.

“I stayed… but not as your mother. As a caretaker. As someone who could still be there… but not claim you.”

Dante’s breathing deepened.

“And then,” she continued, hesitating now.

This was harder. I could see it.

“I made more mistakes,” she added, and Dante’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“What kind of mistakes?” Dante asked carefully.

She hesitated. Then said it..“I worked with Nico.”

The words hit as Dante’s expression changed. “What?”

“I thought Serena wasn’t right for you,” she said quickly, her voice shaking again. “From the beginning… I didn’t trust her.”

My chest tightened.

“And your father…” she added, glancing down briefly. “Before he died… he had plans. Plans for you to marry Isabella.”

Dante’s jaw clenched.

“And I thought…” she continued, her voice breaking again, “I thought the only way to honor him… was to make sure it happened.”

Silence.

“I pushed,” she whispered. “I manipulated things… I worked with Nico when I realized he wanted the same thing…”

Her tears fell harder now. “I tried to separate you from Serena.”

The room felt tighter, heavier now.

“But I was wrong,” she said immediately. “I was so wrong.”

Her gaze lifted and went straight to me.

“I saw you,” she whispered. “I saw what you became… what you did… how you fought… how you stayed.”

My throat tightened.

“And I realized… I had been fighting the wrong thing,” she added.

Silence.

“I’m sorry,” she said again, her voice barely there now.

But Dante didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

And the silence stretched on—

Till, he stepped forward slowly and I watched as Valentina’s breath physically hitched.

“I forgave him,” Dante said quietly and she blinked. “I forgave Nico,” he added.

Her lips parted and her brows raised without saying a word.

“So why wouldn’t I forgive you…”

He paused. And for the first time—

There was softness in his voice when he added, “...mom.”

She broke completely as a sob tore right out of her as she surged forward, and Dante caught her without any hesitation.

He held her together tightly, leaning down to pull her into a hug.

And for the first time since everything began, it felt like something had truly ended.

Dante stood after a while, helping Valentina up and pulling me into a hug.

Valentina hugged me through it and mom joined as the tears dried and everything went chill again.

The rest of the night passed easily with no one really hungry as the table remained untouched.

Everything felt… peaceful.

Dante walked the two men out himself and with them, the house grew quieter.

Heavier—but not in a bad way.

He lingered outside a bit before returning with a smile.

“Where did you go?” I asked.

“Just on call, needed Marcus to run something for me,” he replied, then pulled me inside.

I didn't ask more and by the time we finally lay down, Dante and I together, exhaustion had taken me over completely.

I barely remembered closing my eyes.

Morning came quickly and for once in a long time, I woke up with no heaviness, no feeling of impending doom, no pressure, just warmth.

“Morning, handsome,” I whispered by his side as he stirred.

Dante smiled and reached up, taking my lips in a kiss. “Morning, beautiful.”

“How was your sleep?” I asked.

“It was good till you started leaning so much into my ribs and I could barely breathe,” he chuckled and I gasped.

“Why didn't you wake me?” I asked, sitting up at once.

“How could I when you look so beautiful while sleeping?” He replied and I felt my cheeks burn up.

I playfully hit his shoulder but snuggled closer to him, careful not to press into him again.

This was just perfect, what I'd been waiting for.

We laid in silence for a while before Dante spoke up. “I’ve got something to show you,” he whispered and reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out an envelope.

“What's in it?” I asked.

“Open it,” he replied.

I sat up at once and tore it open, only to push the sheets away as my hand flew to my mouth.