Chapter 35 Chapter 36
Luciano POV
I was making sure every possible exit was blocked.Every channel, every road, every contact that could help her disappear—I was closing them one by one. My men had already been alerted, and I was personally overseeing everything. I made several calls in quick succession, giving out every detail of her description, making sure nothing was missed. Her photos had already been sent to all my trusted people.
I wasn't willing to take any chances.
Valeria was not someone you could easily track once she decided to disappear. If she truly wanted to leave, she would do it without leaving a single trace behind.
And that was exactly what I feared.
I had waited years for this moment—years of watching from afar, years of planning carefully, years of staying silent when I wanted nothing more than to claim her for myself. Now that I finally had a chance to be closer to her, I wasn't going to let it slip through my fingers.
Not this time, not again When I finally finished the last call, I tossed my phone onto the couch beside me and ran my hand through my hair in frustration.
My mind was restless.
I began pacing back and forth across the room, unable to stay still. Every passing second made the tension inside me grow stronger.
Valeria was not someone to be taken lightly.I knew her too well.Once she made a decision, there was no turning back for her. If she decided to walk away, she would do it without hesitation, without regret, and without looking back at anyone she left behind.
And that included me.I had spent years carefully positioning myself so that when the right moment came, I would finally have the chance to be by her side. Now that that moment was within reach, I refused to ruin it.
I refused to lose her, As I continued pacing across the room, my phone suddenly beeped.The sound immediately caught my attention.
I turned around, picked it up from the couch, and looked down at the screen.
For a moment, my expression remained blank.
Then slowly, a smirk appeared on my lips."Luciano, let's meet."The message was short.and simple.
But I knew exactly who it was from.
Leah.Why she suddenly wanted to meet me now was something I couldn't quite understand.She was a mistake.
A mistake I should have gotten rid of years ago.Back then, I had been foolish enough to believe every lie she told me. I had convinced myself that she cared about me, that what we had was real.But the truth was much uglier than that.
I had only used her to fill the empty space inside me,the space that existed because Valeria had always been out of my reach.
Leah had merely been a distraction.
Nothing more,and yet she had the audacity to betray me.The thought of her sleeping with my brother while still pretending to love me made my stomach twist with disgust.
I sighed heavily,the more I thought about it, the more irritating it became. Still, I decided to go.Not because I cared about her apology, but because I wanted to know why she had suddenly chosen to reappear in my life.
I picked up my car keys from the table and headed for the door.Just as I stepped outside, Damien immediately appeared.
"Boss, should I come with you?" he asked.
I shook my head.
"No."He looked slightly surprised."I'll handle this alone."I didn't want anyone else there. Whatever Leah wanted to say, I preferred to hear it without any witnesses.
Without waiting for another word, I walked to my car, got inside, and drove to the location she had sent.
When I arrived, I immediately spotted her.
She was sitting gracefully at one of the tables near the window, dressed elegantly as always. Anyone who didn't know her would probably think she looked innocent.
But I knew better.
The moment she saw me walk in, her face lit up with excitement.She quickly stood up from her seat and rushed toward me with open arms, clearly intending to hug me.
But I stopped her halfway.My hand lifted slightly in front of me, blocking her path.
She paused for a moment but quickly brushed it off as if nothing had happened. Instead, she leaned forward and planted a quick peck on my cheek.
My expression instantly darkened.
Without saying a word, I took out my handkerchief and wiped the spot where her lips had touched me,Disgust flickered in my eyes.Then I walked past her and sat down at the table across from where she had been sitting earlier.
Crossing one leg over the other, I leaned back slightly and stared at her,I waited for her to speak.But she didn't.
Instead, she just stood there, staring at me as if she was studying my face.The silence quickly became irritating."What do you want, Leah?" I finally asked coldly.
She blinked slightly.
"We're over. We're done," I continued. "So why exactly did you insist on meeting me? Is there something important you want to discuss?"The moment I finished speaking, the smile on her lips slowly widened.Then she stretched her hands across the table and grabbed mine.
The sudden contact made my brows furrow."I'm sorry," she said softly.
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I'm sorry for the way I treated you before."
I stared at her in silence."I want you back, Luciano," she continued. "Please... let's go back to the way things used to be."
For a moment, I didn't say anything.
I simply looked at her in disbelief.Was she serious?After everything she had done… after betraying me in the worst possible way… she actually believed she could walk back into my life and pretend none of it had happened?
The thought alone was ridiculous.
Without hesitation, I pulled my hands away from her grip and stood up from my chair.
There was absolutely no chance I would ever take her back.
Not even the smallest possibility.But before I could walk away, she quickly rushed around the table and grabbed my arm.
"Please, Luciano," she begged desperately. "Just give me another chance. I promise things will be different this time."
Her grip tightened as if she was afraid I might disappear.But I wasn't interested in listening to another word.Without warning, I pushed her away.
She stumbled slightly but managed to keep her balance.I didn't even bother looking back at her.Instead, I turned around and walked straight out of the room, leaving her standing there alone.Whatever she wanted from me, she wasn't going to get it.
Because the only person
who mattered to me now was Valeria. and this time, I wasn't going to lose her again.