Chapter 23 Chapter 24
Valerie POV
“Have you booked the flight?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. My heart pounded as I waited for her answer, every second stretching painfully.
“Yes. Everything is ready,” Lauren replied. Then her tone changed, growing serious. “But Valerie, you have to be careful. Your father is still furious. Your brother had to help me secretly to get your passport. From what I heard, your father has confiscated everything you own—the company, the cars, even the mansion. You’re literally leaving with nothing. Maybe you shouldn’t come back for at least five years.”
Her words sank deep, cutting more than I expected.
For a moment, silence filled the room. I stared at the wall in front of me, my reflection faint in the mirror nearby. Everything I had once called mine was gone. My father had stripped me of it all so easily, as if I had never mattered to him in the first place.
I swallowed hard,Then, slowly, I forced a smile onto my lips, even though my chest ached. I held the phone tighter against my ear, as if letting go would make everything feel more real.
“Don’t worry, Lauren,” I said softly. “I don’t have any plans of coming back.”
The words tasted bitter, but they were true.
“Right now, the real problem is how I leave this place,” I continued. “How do I get out of here without raising suspicion?”
This mansion felt like a cage. Every hallway, every door reminded me that I was being watched. Luciano wasn’t going to let me leave anytime soon, not after everything that had happened. He had too much control, too many eyes everywhere.
I needed a distraction—something convincing enough to give me an opening.
Lauren didn’t speak for a moment. The silence made my nerves tighten. I began pacing the room again, my steps quick and restless. Just when I was about to give up and end the call, her voice finally came through.
“How about you pretend to fall sick?” she said slowly. “Or hurt your waist—anything. Just fake something. You’re good at what you do, Valerie. That way we can get the plan in motion.”
I stopped walking, her words echoed in my head, and suddenly everything clicked. My heart leapt, excitement mixing with relief. A slow smile spread across my lips as the idea fully formed in my mind. It was risky,but it could work.
I lowered my voice even more and leaned closer to the phone.
“I have a perfect plan, Lauren,” I whispered, my eyes gleaming with determination. “I’ll get back to you with the details.”
Before she could say anything else, I ended the call.
I stood there for a long moment, staring at the dark screen of my phone. My pulse raced, but this time it wasn’t only fear. It was hope. For the first time in a long while, I felt in control.
Whatever it took, I was leaving this place.
And nothing, no one was going to stop me.
Now it was time to put my plan into motion.
I needed everything to work perfectly, without a single flaw. I couldn’t afford mistakes. One wrong move could ruin everything. I didn’t want to leave behind any trace, any evidence that could be used against me later. I knew the risks, but I also knew myself. I could do this. I had to.
I had only one goal, to leave this place.
And no matter what happened, I was going to see it through.
I was still lost in my thoughts when a sudden knock on the door jolted me back to reality. My heart jumped painfully in my chest. I froze for a moment, staring at the door as if it might explode. Slowly, I walked toward it and pulled it open.
Damien stood there, holding a box in his hands.
Curiosity mixed with irritation as my eyes moved from his face to the box, then back again. My stomach tightened. Nothing good ever came wrapped in a box in this house.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, unable to hide the edge in my voice.
“Luciano asked me to hand this over to you,” he replied calmly, stretching his arms forward so I could take it.
I didn’t need to know what was inside. I didn’t care. All I wanted was to be left alone. My mind was already full, crowded with fear, planning, and desperation. I stared at the box for a moment longer than necessary, then lifted my eyes to meet his.
“Please tell Luciano that I can’t accept it,” I said firmly.
I tried to close the door, but Damien quickly blocked it with his foot.
“Miss Valerie,” he said, his tone stiff, “Luciano instructed that I shouldn’t return unless you accept this gift.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, fighting the frustration rising inside me. My patience was already thin. I forced a smile onto my face, one that didn’t reach my eyes, then looked at the box again before turning my gaze back to him.
“Let me tell you what to do, Damien,” I said quietly. “Since I’m not accepting the box, and you clearly won’t take no for an answer, just throw it away.”
He blinked, clearly not expecting that.
“Better still,” I added coldly, “shove it down the toilet. But that box is not coming into my room.”
Without waiting for his reply, I slammed the door shut in his face.
The sound echoed loudly through the room, making my chest rise and fall sharply. My hands trembled as I turned away from the door and walked toward my bed. I let myself fall onto the mattress, my body sinking into the soft sheets.
All I wanted was peace.
Even just a moment of silence,I stared up at the ceiling, my thoughts spinning again. Everything in this house felt like control, gifts, orders, instructions masked as concern. I didn’t want anything from Luciano. Not his boxes. Not his attention. Not his fake kindness.
I rolled onto my side, curling slightly, as exhaustion washed over me. My plan was still clear in my mind. Nothing had changed. This was just another obstacle, another reminder of why I needed to leave.
Soon, this place would no longer have power over me, Soon, I would be free.