Chapter 183 The Miscalculation
Valentina
Tess stood straighter when I closed the study door behind us.
She wasn’t trembling. She wasn’t crying. She had already reorganized herself into something more presentable.
“I’m sorry,” she said before I even spoke.
The speed of it almost impressed me.
“For which part?” I asked calmly.
She exhaled slowly, forcing composure into her shoulders. “The outburst. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I didn’t realize she was staying permanently. It caught me off guard.”
“Family often does,” I replied.
Her jaw tightened briefly, but she pushed past it.
“I was out of line,” she continued. “I’ll apologize to Liana. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re sure?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I watched her carefully. Tess had never been especially skilled at concealment. Her emotions moved across her face before she could filter them. Right now, she looked embarrassed. Maybe even ashamed.
Not unstable.
Just bruised.
“You knew what this world was when you agreed to stay,” I reminded her. “It’s not dramatic violence. It’s structure. And structure doesn’t bend for personal discomfort.”
“I know,” she said quietly.
“And Rosco?”
She looked down for half a second before meeting my gaze again.
“I misread things,” she admitted. “That’s on me.”
There it was.
Ownership.
“Good,” I said. “Because I don’t tolerate resentment in this house.”
“You won’t have it,” she promised.
The sincerity felt convincing.
I nodded once. “Apologize to Liana. Not because she needs it. Because you do.”
She gave a small, tight smile. “I will.”
After we finished our discussion I returned to my suite to lay down for just a bit as I was not feeling too great at the moment.
I was startled when the knock at the door woke me up. I hadn’t intended on falling asleep, only resting for a few minutes.
I got up and answered the door. It was Liana.
“Oh I’m sorry.” She said. “You look like you were sleeping.”
“No it’s fine,” I gave her a warm smile, “I need to get up.”
“Are you sure? I can catch you later.”
“No it’s fine. What is it?”
“I was just wanting to spend some time with you.” She said.
“I would like that very much. How about a walk?”
“That sounds lovely.”
The garden behind the estate had always felt separate from the house itself.
Very well maintained and one of my favorite parts of the estate. It was very similar to a labyrinth and one could get lost in its beauty for hours.
Liana walked beside me slowly, Eden ahead of us chasing the edges of sunlight filtering through the trees.
“This is beautiful,” Liana said quietly.
“Isn’t it, though?” I replied. “I discovered it right after Matteo brought me here. It was my escape.”
We reached the oak near the far edge of the property. Its trunk was thick, bark deeply ridged. The branches curved wide enough to create a shaded pocket beneath it.
“This is my favorite spot,” I said.
Liana tilted her head slightly. “Why?”
“Because I once drank an entire bottle of wine under it and fell asleep.”
She blinked.
“I was just exploring and brought a book with me to read.” I said. “I still hated Matteo at that time and just needed a little escape.”
She covered her mouth as she laughed.
“He almost burned down the city looking for me,” I added. “Security combed every block. He thought I’d been taken.”
“And you were just… here?”
“Very drunk. Very stubborn.”
Liana shook her head, smiling in a way that softened her entire face.
“I can see why he loves you,” she said.
The words landed gently.
Before I could respond, she added, “Tess apologized.”
I glanced at her.
“When?”
“This morning,” Liana replied. “She brought coffee. And a cupcake.”
“A truce cupcake?”
“Yes,” she said, amused. “She said she overreacted and that she understands now.”
“And?”
“And I accepted,” Liana said simply. “She seemed genuine.”
That tightened something quietly inside me.
Genuine.
Perhaps.
We began walking back toward the house slowly. Eden ran ahead toward the patio doors, already narrating something about the movie she wanted to watch later.
Halfway across the lawn, Liana’s steps faltered.
I noticed immediately.
Her shoulders stiffened. Her hand moved instinctively toward her abdomen.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
She didn’t answer right away.
Then she inhaled sharply.
“I—” She swallowed. “I feel…”
Her knees buckled.
I caught her before she hit the ground.
“Liana.”
Her skin felt clammy beneath my hands. Her breathing quickened rapidly, then grew shallow.
“Call Matteo,” I snapped toward the nearest guard.
He was already moving.
Eden’s voice cut through the air. “Mom?”
“Stay back,” I ordered gently but firmly.
Liana’s eyes fluttered. “My chest,” she whispered.
That was enough.
Within minutes, Matteo was outside. He took one look at her and didn’t hesitate.
“Car,” he ordered. “Now.”
Rosco appeared as if summoned by instinct alone. The look on his face when he saw her was not controlled.
It was raw.
I moved Eden toward one of the staff members as Rosco lifted Liana carefully, as if any sudden movement might shatter her.
“Mommy?” Eden’s voice trembled.
“She’s going to be okay,” I said with more certainty than I felt.
The drive to the hospital blurred into sterile lights and rapid voices.
Matteo handled intake with the same precision he handled negotiations. No waiting room. No paperwork delay.
Rosco stayed at Liana’s side until they forced him back behind swinging doors.
The hallway fell quiet once she was taken.
Eden sat beside me, gripping my hand too tightly.
Rosco paced.
Matteo stood still.
I replayed the day in my mind automatically.
Coffee.
Cupcake.
Truce.
A slow cold realization crept in.
Cupcake.
I turned toward Rosco.
“What did she eat?” I asked quietly.
He stopped pacing.
“What?”
“This morning,” I clarified. “When Tess brought coffee and a cupcake. Did Liana eat it?”
He froze.
“Yes.”
The word hung between us.
And suddenly, I understood the miscalculation.
Tess hadn’t screamed.
She hadn’t lashed out.
She had smiled.
And I had believed her.