Chapter 117 When a Man Breaks
Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen
Stefan’s POV~
When Val told me to leave her house, the words hit me harder than anything I had felt in a long time. I walked out without looking back because I knew if I turned around, I would say something I shouldn’t. I drove home with my chest feeling tight and my head full of noise.
When I reached the house, I stopped in front of the door for a few seconds. The place was dark. All the lights were off. It felt cold when I walked in. I called out for Natasha once, but she didn’t answer. I already knew she was gone, but hearing nothing made it real.
I walked inside and looked around slowly. Everything felt strange. The house looked the same, but it didn’t feel like mine anymore. I touched the edge of the table as I passed it. Wedding decorations were still there. Ribbons. Flowers. A box filled with programs. I stared at them for a long time, trying to understand how everything had gone so wrong.
My suit jacket from the wedding lay on the couch. I walked over and picked it up. It smelled like smoke from the fire. My hands shook as I held it. I dropped it and sat down, but I couldn’t stay still.
I stood again and walked to the kitchen. I opened the fridge and grabbed some food, but when I sat down to eat, the food tasted like nothing. My mouth felt dry. I forced myself to chew, but I couldn’t swallow. I pushed the plate away and held my head.
My mind wouldn’t stop racing. Val told me to leave. Her face when she said it. Dimitri is in her house. Natasha crying. My company is burning. Everything felt too heavy.
I walked back to the living room and sank to the floor. I pulled my knees up and held my head in my hands. My breathing shook. I whispered to myself, “What am I doing. Where do I go now?”
The house was silent except for my breath. Then, outside, I heard voices. Loud ones.
Reporters.
I crawled to the window and lifted the curtain slightly. My gate was crowded. People were pushing against each other, holding cameras, shouting my name. Bright flashes hit my eyes.
“Stefan, why did you run from the wedding?”
“Is the marriage over already?”
“Where is Natasha?”
“Did you go to Val?”
I let the curtain fall. My chest hurt. I sat back and leaned against the wall. Before I could even breathe, my phone buzzed.
Then buzzed again.
Then again.
Board members. Investors. Reporters. My assistant.
Everyone wanted answers.
I put the phone on silent and threw it across the couch.
I walked to the cabinet and opened the bottom drawer. A bottle of whiskey sat there. I grabbed it, twisted the cap, and drank. It burned all the way down, but I didn’t stop. I drank again. And again. Anything to quiet my head. Anything to stop the noise.
But Val’s voice cut through everything.
You need to leave.
It kept echoing over and over. I pressed my hand against my chest. It felt tight, like something was pulling at me from the inside. I tried to breathe, but it wasn’t enough.
The bottle slipped from my hand. I stared at it on the floor for a moment. Then everything inside me snapped.
I grabbed the bottle and threw it as hard as I could against the wall. It shattered and fell in sharp pieces around my feet. The sound echoed through the house.
My breathing came fast and uneven. I pressed my palm against my eyes.
“I can’t stay here,” I said out loud. “I can’t do this.”
I didn’t think. I didn’t plan. I just grabbed my keys and walked out.
The reporters ran after me, screaming my name, but I ignored all of them. I got into my car and drove off fast. Too fast. The wind hit the car hard, and the lights on the road blurred. I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t care.
I just drove and drove, gripping the wheel until my hands hurt.
But no matter how far I went, the same thing kept happening. My mind went back to her.
Back to Val.
Her voice. Her eyes. The way she looked when I told her I didn’t want to hear the truth. The way she told me to leave. The way she stood between me and Dimitri.
My chest felt tight again, and I hit the steering wheel with my hand.
“Why her?” I whispered. “Why does it always come back to her?”
My breathing grew heavy again. I had to slow down. I pulled into a side street and tried to calm down, but my hands kept shaking. I put my forehead against the steering wheel and stayed there for a moment.
When I lifted my head, I saw something through the window.
A street I knew.
A building I recognized.
I blinked hard.
I had driven straight to Val’s apartment building.
I didn’t remember turning. I didn’t remember choosing this street. But I was here. My car engine was still running. My hands still trembled.
I turned off the car slowly and sat there. My breath shook. My chest rose and fell too fast. I stared at the entrance of her building.
“What am I doing?” I whispered.
I didn’t know.
But I knew I couldn’t go back home. I couldn’t face Natasha. I couldn’t face the reporters. I couldn’t face anyone else.
I opened the car door and stepped out. My legs felt weak. I almost stumbled, but I caught myself on the door.
The building lights glowed softly. The sky was dark. The air was cold. I wrapped my jacket tighter around myself and walked toward the entrance. Every step felt heavy.
When I reached her door, I stopped. My hand hovered over the wood. My breath shook.
I whispered her name once under my breath. “Val.”
Then I knocked.
The sound echoed down the hallway.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
I didn’t know what I wanted her to say. I didn’t know what I expected. I only knew that I needed to see her.