Chapter 29 Chapter 30
Valerie POV
“Did you touch my phone?” I asked quietly.
He only shrugged, not saying a single word.
That answer made my chest tighten. There was no way he should have been able to access my phone. It was protected. I knew that. And yet, there were no messages from Lauren. No missed calls. Nothing. The empty screen felt louder than any answer he could have given me.
My heart sank.
Had she pulled out at the last minute? Had she changed her mind? Or worse had she decided she couldn’t help me anymore when I needed her the most? The thought made my chest ache painfully. I slowly lay back against the bed, staring at the ceiling as regret washed over me.
I had made a mistake, a terrible one.
Taking those drugs whatever they were had almost cost me my life. Now I was here, trapped in a hospital bed, with nothing but unanswered questions and a growing sense of dread. If I had just waited. If I had just thought things through. My throat tightened as guilt and fear twisted together inside me.
Luciano’s voice suddenly cut through the silence, sharp and cold.
“As much as I conquered the business world and gained popularity with the help of your father’s company,” he said slowly, “you’re not smart, Valerie.”
The words stunned me,I turned my head toward him, staring in confusion. My mind struggled to keep up. What was he talking about? None of this made sense. My lips parted, but for a moment, I couldn’t find the courage to speak.
“What are you talking about?” I whispered finally.
His eyes hardened, and his expression shifted into something darker, something far more serious.
“I remember the day I saw you climbing over the fence,” he said. “You were desperate to escape. You didn’t want to be engaged to Noah Bowman, and you dragged me into this entire mess.”
My breath caught.
“You gave me one condition,” he continued, his voice steady but firm. “You said when the time came, I could ask for what I wanted. And I agreed. We signed a contract. So tell me—why are you trying to run away now?”
His words hit me one after another, each one heavier than the last.Everything suddenly began to fall into place.
The missing messages. The erased phone. The unfamiliar medication I had found on the table. None of it was random. None of it was a coincidence. My heart began to race as realization crept in, slow and terrifying.
“You were trying to escape,” he said. “To break the agreement.”
I swallowed hard, my chest tight as fear settled deep inside me. I hadn’t thought things through. I had acted out of panic, out of desperation. And now, I was paying the price.
I turned my face away from him, unable to meet his eyes. The truth weighed heavily on me, pressing down until it was hard to breathe.
I hadn’t just failed,I had trapped myself even deeper.
I didn't say anything. I just stared at him, stunned by how easily he had pulled everything off without me realizing it. Part of me felt sick with disbelief, another part with bitter admiration. I had always known Luciano was dangerous, but I hadn’t expected this level of control.
He was never someone to be taken for a fool.
“So it was you all along,” I said slowly, my voice rising as the truth sank in. “You did this. You gave me that awful drug?” I shrieked, the sound tearing out of my chest before I could stop it.
“Relax,” Luciano replied calmly. “I didn’t know you were going to take that much. It was only meant to help you sleep and calm your nerves.” He paused, then added casually, “Luckily, you didn’t sleep for too long.”
A smile spread across his lips.
I hated that smile, It was the same one he always wore when he knew he had won, smooth, confident, and cruel. That stupid smile made my stomach twist. I rolled my eyes, trying to hide how badly my hands were shaking. Inside, I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry until my chest broke open. I wanted to disappear.
But I didn’t. Before I could say anything, he spoke again, his tone almost careless.
“Oh, before I forget,” he said, “you shouldn’t bother trying to contact your friend. I already told her you didn’t want to make the trip anymore.”
My heart dropped.“You said you were fine staying with me,” he continued, as if reminding me of something trivial. “And as you know, this is a contract. You have your part to play, Valerie. You don’t get to walk away whenever you feel like it.”
I clenched my fists.“I won’t take compensation,” he added coolly. “We signed the agreement. And you will stick to it.”
Then he stood up,Just like that.
No hesitation. No second glance. He walked out of the room as if he had never been there at all, leaving his words hanging heavily in the air. The door closed behind him, and the sound echoed painfully in my ears.
That was when I broke, a loud, broken screech tore out of my throat as I collapsed back onto the bed. Tears streamed down my face, hot and uncontrollable. This wasn’t the plan. None of this was supposed to happen. I had been so sure, so confident that everything would work out the way I intended.
How had he managed to ruin everything?
My chest hurt as I tried to breathe through the panic. I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and tried to call Lauren, desperate, clinging to the smallest hope. But her number was gone. Completely erased. Like she had never existed in my life at all.
“No… no, no,” I whispered, scrolling frantically.
Nothing,The last thread of hope snapped.
Rage surged through me, hot and blinding. Before I could stop myself, I threw the phone across the room. It slammed against the wall with a sharp crack, falling to the floor in pieces.
I stared at it, my body trembling, tears still falling,I had failed,Luciano hadn’t just stopped me he had trapped me. And now, I was completely alone, stuck in a situation I could no longer escape.