Chapter 31 Chapter 31
When I opened my eyes, the pain hit first, then the heaviness from his hand, then the heat of his body and the heat of his breath in the crook of my neck. I turned slightly.
“Stay, don’t go,” he whispered, holding me tighter. I relaxed for a bit.
“Okay.”
What exactly was going on with him? I remembered last night clearly the pain, his reaction, and his tenderness. He moved, and I rolled onto my back. He leaned over me, his hands caressing my face. He leaned in and took my mouth, kissing me. His hands cupped my face, and he deepened the kiss, making my body shiver; he cupped my face harder. His lips brushed my neck, making me shiver even more. I managed to push him away slightly.
“Don’t,” the words barely came out in a whisper. We were startled by yelling. He sat up, and his entire demeanor changed; his eyes that were tender a few seconds ago now had fire in them, and his face went completely cold. How does he do that? He walked out of the room and left me lying there; my heart was beating out of time. I got off the bed and followed him; when I got to the balcony, his family was in the living room. It was now clean; there was no sign or evidence that there had been bloodshed last night.
“I heard Ms. De Luca was injured last night? ” Anabella asked.
“More like she took a bullet for him,” Gia, his cousin, said.
“Your grandmother said she is stepping down as the head of the family, and you are now in charge; she is returning overseas permanently,” Pedro said.
“Correct,” Nikolai replied.
“So what changes can we expect?” his uncle Victor asked.
“In a few days, once Natalie is better, we’ll have a meeting,” Nikolai said. I saw Ares walking through the front door. He went straight to Nikolai.
“How can you pet that thing?” "Esme?" his sister asked.
“Ares, go find her.” He said, rubbing his head. Ares started running up the stairs, and I pulled back from the balcony; he rushed me, almost knocking me down.
“Relax, I’m hurt; I can’t play with you right now. Let’s go; I’m hungry.”
I headed down the stairs and straight to the table.
“Ms. De Luca?” Anabella said.
“Yes, Mrs. Ferro?”
“Thank you,” she said, looking at me, and I just nodded. Esme came over and sat beside me; she leaned in close.
“You really took a bullet for my idiot brother?” she asked in a whisper.
“He pays me; if he dies, I don’t get paid,” I replied, and she just stared at me.
“That’s enough. Let us know when you’re ready, Nikolai.” Pedro said, standing up, and they all followed suit, following him out. He stood up and took his time walking over to me. He stood behind me quietly. Suddenly I felt his hands close over my throat and my hair being pulled back. My head fell back looking up at him; he leaned down, his face inches away from mine.
“So if I die, you don’t get paid?” he asked as he took my mouth, kissing me again, his hands tightening around my throat. A moan escaped my throat, and his tongue speared into my mouth. This was bad. He pulled away and looked at me.
“Then I have to make sure I don’t die,” he said before biting my lips and letting go of me. He walked out of the living room. What the fuck is going on right now? Why was he acting like this now?
Maria brought my breakfast for me, and I sat eating without really paying any attention. He showed up a few minutes later and began eating; the air in the dining room felt different today. I drank my coffee but didn't taste it; he had unnerved me with his reaction. After breakfast he left and came back ten minutes later dressed in a black suit. He looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine. I guess he felt me staring at him because he turned and looked at me, then smirked.
He took slow, purposeful steps towards me. He stood in front of me looking down at me. “What is it?” I asked, the words coming out softer than I meant for them to be. He leaned forward, his face inches from mine.
“Take security with you if you leave,” he said before closing the distance and kissing me on the lips. It was as light as a feather. I pulled back slightly, and he just stared at me. He pulled back and walked out of the house, and then I let out a sigh of relief. What in the actual hell was going on? I put it out of my mind; I had other things to do, important things. Whether he was injured or not, it couldn't wait.
“Wesley?”
He came in a few minutes later. “Madam?” he asked.
“I need someone found and brought to me.”
“Yes, madam?” he replied.
“Martian Lincoln, he had ties with my parents, the Valerius. Brax knows his location; bring him to me safely and securely. No one should know.”
“Yes, Madam, it will be done,” he replied and left. After breakfast I headed back to my room and grabbed the file Brax had compiled on the Valerius’s, then headed back downstairs. Shit. I called Nikolai, and he answered on the second ring.
“Yes, Kitten?” he said. His voice was low and cold. In the background, I could hear a man groaning, and a second voice pleading, saying, “Please, I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for disturbing you, can I use your office?”
“Of course you can, Kitten,” he replied.
“Thank you,” I ended the call and opened the office door. I sighed. His office looked like something out of a novel I read; it was always dimly lit and cold with no natural light. I turned the lights off and pulled the curtains back.
I didn't sit in his chair; I sat on the sofa and opened the file.
PROPERTY OF VANGUARD INTELLIGENCE
SUBJECT: VALERIUS, JULIAN & ELENA (DECEASED)
I. The Bloodline: Old Money Meets New Power
Elena Valerius (née Von Steuben): Pure European royalty-adjacent money. Her family owned half the steel mills in Germany and private banks in Zurich. She didn't just have cash; she had lineage.
Julian Valerius: A visionary architect and shipping mogul. He was the "Golden Boy" of the Mediterranean.
The "Ghost" Heir: Isla Valerius. I found zero birth records in the city registry. Julian and Elena were so wealthy and so paranoid about kidnappings that they kept you off the grid. Private tutors, private doctors, and a birth certificate kept in a Swiss vault. To the world, you didn't exist.
II. The Business Empire: "The Valerius Group"
Before Alistair Rhodes was a "Titan," he was a junior partner holding Julian’s briefcase.
Original Valerius Holding
Shipping—Valerius Maritime (14 Deepwater Ports)—$1.2 Billion
Real Estate—The Riverside Waterfront Development—$850 Million
Banking—Steuben-Valerius Private Equity—$2.4 Billion (Assets Under Management)