Chapter 59 Wrath of Fundano
The night was cool and crisp, but it did little to ease the tension coiling in Deborah's chest. The streetlights glinted off the polished black of Knight’s sports car, parked a few meters ahead of the convoy. She hesitated, her hand brushing over the strap of her bag, heart thumping audibly in her ears.
“Caelum…” Her voice was softer than she intended, hesitant, but firm enough to pierce the hum of the idling engines. “Can I….. ride with Knight?”
Caelum froze mid-motion, blinking at her as though she had suddenly grown another head. “With… Knight?” His tone held the unmistakable edge of confusion. He glanced toward his brother leaning casually against the car, expression as unreadable as the dark tinted windows that concealed the interior.
Knight’s dark eyes flicked toward her, sharp and calculating, yet in their depths lingered that quiet question..... Are you sure about this? Deborah gave the barest nod, just enough to signal that she was. Her back straightened, shoulders squared, posture firm. That slight movement was enough for Knight to make his decision.
Caelum exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Fine,” he muttered, clearly still trying to process it. Then, raising his voice so Knight could hear, he added in a clipped, commanding tone, “Knight! She’s riding with you. Don’t screw this up.”
Knight’s lips curved just enough to hint at a smirk. He opened the driver side door with smooth precision, gesturing for her to enter. Deborah slid in, letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. The interior smelled faintly of leather and perfume, warm and grounding. She placed her bag on her lap, hands tightening reflexively around it as she drew in a slow breath.
For several blocks, silence filled the car. It was the kind of silence that pressed against the ears, heavy with the weight of unspoken truths. Deborah stared out the window, the city lights stretching into streaks of amber and gold, blurring into lines that mirrored the turmoil inside her.
Finally, Knight spoke, his voice low, calm, yet laced with unmistakable authority. “Tell me... what happened?”
Deborah’s throat constricted. Her fingers dug into the strap of her bag. She hesitated, swallowing the lump that had lodged itself there. “…It’s...... Luther,” she whispered. “I cut him off. Completely. Out of my life. Because you said so.”
Knight’s hands tightened around the wheel as he absorbed her words, eyes fixed on the road ahead. He said nothing at first, letting the weight of her confession settle in the quiet car. Inside, his mind churned. He understood the heartbreak, the quiet storm of emotions that had led her to this choice. But the forbidden nature of their love pressed down like iron. He couldn’t let it continue, not openly. And if the rest of the Valmere siblings discovered even a hint of it, it would be explosive. Front-page scandals. The family name dragged through gossip columns around the world.
Deborah’s reflection on the tinted window stared back at her. Her eyes were glossy, edges red from tears she had tried to wipe away. Her posture was rigid, an attempt to hide the inner collapse she felt, to appear untouchable. She could almost feel the walls closing in, each block of city lights a reminder that she was powerless to stop the world’s gaze.
Knight finally exhaled, slow and measured, as if releasing a coil of tension he had been holding in check. “Debbie…” His voice was a murmur, low but firm, carrying both warning and care. “You need to fix yourself. No puffy eyes tonight. Fundano is at the mansion. I don’t want him noticing anything that might… complicate things. And he don't want to see you like that.”
Deborah blinked, startled by the bluntness of his concern. She brought a hand to her face, wiping the last traces of tears she hadn’t thought were visible. Her breaths came in quiet, deliberate pulls as she straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and forced a small, defiant smile. “Alright… like nothing happened,” she whispered, more to herself than to him.
Knight’s eyes softened for just a moment. The faintest twitch of his jaw betrayed his worry, but he kept his expression firm. “Good. That’s all I needed to see,” he said, voice low, almost growling with restraint. “You need to appear fine. Composed. Because Fundano Valmere doesn’t notice things he shouldn’t… and he certainly doesn’t forgive signs of weakness.”
Deborah nodded slowly. She smoothed her blazer, brushed back a stray strand of hair, and fixed her posture with painstaking precision. The mask of composure fell into place, concealing the jagged edges of her heartbreak.
Silence fell again, thick with things neither dared to voice. Knight’s mind drifted, circling the forbidden boundaries that neither could cross, the tension of knowing that her heart had been wounded yet legally untouchable in the family’s shadow. Deborah’s thoughts swirled with regret, guilt, and lingering pain. She pressed her palms against her thighs, the faint tremor of nerves threatening to betray her façade.
Finally... the mansion appeared at the end of the long, private driveway. Its towering gates loomed like silent sentinels, the dark stone walls absorbing the amber glow of the streetlights. Even from a distance, the structure exuded authority and intimidation. Knight parked the car with precise control, shutting off the engine and letting the quiet settle around them.
Deborah stepped out first, the cool night brushing against her cheeks. She took a deep breath, straightening her back and smoothing her blazer. Her gaze swept over the driveway, noting the familiar yet imposing silhouettes of her brothers. Their usual confidence was muted, replaced by a nervous tension she could almost feel radiating off them.
If Caelum and her other brothers were so strict, Fundano Valmere.....Rionessi’s elder brother was a force multiplied tenfold. Rumors of his rigid discipline and unwavering demand for perfection made even the Valmere heirs hesitate.
Knight’s hand hovered lightly near her back..not touching, not controlling, but protective offering silent reassurance. Deborah adjusted her posture again, forcing her composure into place, allowing her face to be a mask of calm neutrality.
Then, from the shadowed entrance of the mansion, a deep, commanding voice broke the night’s silence...
“Hello there, my nephews… and the only princess of Valmere!”
Each Valmere heir froze mid-step. Muscles tensed, breaths caught. Even Knight, calm and unflinching moments before, shifted instinctively, eyes scanning the speaker for any sign of threat while remaining protective of Deborah.
The voice carried absolute authority, weight, and an undercurrent of menace. It demanded obedience, respect, and fear. Even with years of experience dealing with the Valmere brothers’ temperaments, this presence dwarfed them all.
Deborah smoothed her blazer one last time, adjusted her hair, and forced a mask of casual composure. She met her brothers’ eyes briefly, noting the pale tension written across their faces, and allowed herself a fleeting, small smile, one that concealed everything roiling inside her.
Knight’s gaze met hers, dark and observant, his jaw tight. Neither spoke, but unspoken words, pain, restraint, forbidden boundaries, hung between them like a storm ready to break.
"Come... Have a mid-night snack with me."