Chapter 42 Chapter 43
Valerie POV
If it wasn’t for my own stupidity, Leah would have never had the courage to come to me with such an offer. The thought alone made a bitter scoff escape my lips as I shook my head slowly. For a moment, I had actually believed everything was over. I thought the drama had finally come to an end. Luciano had not been around, and for the first time in days, there was silence. But now I know better. Silence in a place like this never meant peace. It only meant something was coming.
I sat on the bed, staring at nothing, my mind running in circles. Maybe this was my chance. Luciano was nowhere in sight, and that meant I could finally make a plan. I had to leave. I needed to leave. Staying here any longer felt like slowly losing myself. People like Leah did not scare me. I had seen her type before, desperate, hungry for a position that was never truly theirs. People like her would do anything to feel important, even if it meant stepping on others. She thought she could intimidate me, threaten me, or buy me off. She didn’t know me at all.
I picked up my phone again and tried calling Lauren. The line didn’t go through. I tried again. And again. Still nothing. My heart began to beat faster. A strange fear settled in my chest. Lauren would never ignore me like this. Something had to be wrong. My fingers tightened around the phone as my thoughts grew darker. What if something had happened to her? What if she was in trouble because of me?
I swallowed hard, trying to push those thoughts away. No. I couldn’t let fear take over. I had to believe she was safe. I had to believe that somehow, my brother had found her. They had already seen each other. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He couldn’t.
Still lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice the presence in the room until it was too late.
A warm hand suddenly brushed against my face.
I froze for a split second before jumping up from the bed, my heart racing wildly. Instinct took over as I reached for my dagger, gripping it tightly, ready to strike. But the moment my eyes landed on him, I stopped.
Luciano.
He stood there like he had always been in the room, like he belonged there.For a second, I couldn’t move. Then reality hit me all at once. I quickly got off the bed and rushed toward the door, my fingers fumbling with the handle, locked.
My stomach dropped.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded, turning back to him. “The last time I checked, I locked this door before going to bed. How did you get in?”
I pulled the remaining fabric of my clothes closer to my body, suddenly aware of how exposed I was under his gaze. He didn’t answer immediately. He just looked at me.
And that look it made my skin crawl.
It was too intense. Too calm. Like he could see through me, like he was reading every thought I was trying to hide.
“This is my house,” he said finally, his voice low and steady. “I go anywhere I want, whenever I want. You should get used to that.” A faint smirk appeared on his lips. “I might come in sometimes to check if you’ve escaped through the window.”
His sarcasm irritated me instantly.
I rolled my eyes and walked toward the door again, opening it this time and stepping aside. I pointed firmly toward the hallway.
“Get out,” I said. “I need to rest. I’m tired. I’ve had enough stress for one day.”
I turned away from him and walked back to the bed, trying to ignore his presence, trying to act like he didn’t affect me. But just as he began to move, something clicked in my mind.
I stopped.
“And one more thing,” I added, turning back to him. My voice was sharp now, edged with anger. “Tell your little girlfriend not to come to me with offers again. Next time she tries that, it will be the last time she ever uses her hands to write anything.”
He froze.
Slowly, he turned his head toward me, his eyes narrowing slightly.“Leah came to you with an offer?” he asked, I didn’t answer.
I didn’t have the energy for this. I was too tired, too drained to talk about someone like Leah. She didn’t matter, not anymore.
“I don’t care,” I said instead, my voice quieter now but still firm. “None of this matters anymore. We only have a contract.”I looked away from him, my chest rising and falling slowly.
“And in just a few days… 183 days will be over,” I continued. “After that, I’m leaving. For good.”For the first time in a while, something close to hope flickered inside me.“I’ll finally be free,” I whispered, almost to myself, I could feel his gaze on me.
I didn’t look at him, but I knew he was watching me. Seconds passed, stretching into something uncomfortable. There was something in the silence, something I couldn’t understand. Finally, I glanced up at his expression had changed.
There was something in his eyes, something dark, something unreadable. It wasn’t anger. It wasn’t even amusing. It was something worse, Something I couldn’t name, He didn’t say a word He just turned around and walked out of the room.
The door closed behind him softly, And just like that, the air changed, The small excitement I had felt moments ago disappeared instantly, like it had never been there. My chest tightened again, and a strange feeling settled deep inside me, Something was wrong.
I could feel it,but I didn’t know what it was.
I sat there, staring at the door, my thoughts spinning again. Everything felt too quiet. Just two more days, That was all that stood between me and freedom, But for some reason it didn’t feel that simple anymore, and that scared me more than anything.