Chapter 56 Chapter 56

Chapter 56 Chapter 56
Valentina 

Violeta and I sat across from each other, the soft sound of the cabin filling the space between our conversations. Glasses of juice in hand, we idly watched the sun begin to dip outside the window. Waiting for Lucien to arrive. 

"I should go home soon," Violeta said, twisting the straw in her drink.

"You're staying. If anyone calls at home, you can just tell them you're with me. I've already told Leah incase Ambrose ask her."

Her eyes widened. "Wait...you mean if someone calls, I just...lie?"

"Not lie," I said, smirking. "Just...omit the details. Nothing suspicious. Both of us will be safe."

Violeta leaned back, clearly uncomfortable with the idea, but she didn't argue.

"So...about Lucien," she said suddenly, a teasing grin forming. "I still don't get it. You don't see him as...forbidden, huh?"

I raised a brow. "And what makes you think you can tell me what I see or feel?" I teased, taking a sip.

She scoffed, but there was a blush on her cheeks. "I'm just saying if my sister's in love with someone, I should know."

"Oh, I know," I said quietly, watching her flinch just slightly. "I know you have a little crush on Ronan."

She gasped and threw a napkin at me. "That's different! Our father is probably planning to marry me off to some old man anyway!"

I laughed. "And what if you fall in love with someone else instead? Wouldn't that be fun?"

Her frown deepened, though, and I noticed the weight in her expression. Even joking, I felt a pang in my chest. She didn't know the pressure I carried being married, being with Lucien...everything that should feel wrong, but somehow didn't.

I sighed and looked down at my glass. "Yeah...right. That doesn't sound like a joke at all."

She leaned forward, her tone softer now. "Valentina...if you want my advice...growing up, we never really had a father show us love. Everything was discipline, rules, structure. But I want you to be happy. If Lucien is what makes you happy, then...then go for it. Even if the world will condemn it."

I blinked, feeling the lump in my throat. For a moment, I wanted to cry wanted to admit how much this whole thing terrified me but I pulled myself together, forcing a smile.

Just then, my phone buzzed. I picked it up, hoping it was Lucien. My heart thumped. But it wasn't a message it was a notification from some app on my phone.

Violeta leaned closer, peering over my shoulder. "Maybe he's just planning a surprise," she said brightly.

I nodded, trying to calm the fluttering in my chest. widened.

"What the—" Violeta gasped. "Look at this sis," She turned the screen toward me.

"Ambrose Heir Caught in Romantic Scandal?"

And the photo. Lucien and Mira. Almost intimate. Almost...touching in a way that made my blood run cold.

I froze, every part of me tight with disbelief. My chest ached. My hands shook slightly as I gripped my phone.

"V-Valentina..." Violeta's voice was almost a whisper, trembling. "Is...is that—?"

I could barely speak. I shook my head. "I...don't know."

A burning pit opened in my stomach, and my mind raced.  I stared at the photo again, the laughter and warmth from earlier in the day drained away, leaving a raw, sick feeling I couldn't shake.



I walked into the house, my heels clicking against the polished floor, and immediately felt the weight of the day pressing down on me. I had dropped Violeta home, and the thought of the cabin...of waiting for Lucien...made me tired. Exhausted, even.

All I wanted now was some water, shower, and a quiet moment in my room. I stepped into the kitchen and Mira was there. She was sitting there like she owned the place, sipping from a glass, her phone in hand, a smile playing on her lips. She didn't even glance up when I entered.

I ignored her. I moved toward the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and tried to pretend she wasn't there.

"Bet you've seen the news," she said casually, not even looking at me.

I decided to ignore her but she still went on.  She tilted her head, still scrolling on her phone. "You know...you don't understand how this works. The media—they don't. Besides, uncle's been quietly talking about my relationship with Lucien. Media already knew it could happen. They've been waiting for this. Better them knowing about us than painting some story about Ambrose's wife and his son."

My patience snapped. I slammed the fridge door just a little too hard and spun around. "Shut the fuck up, Mira! I don't know what you did or what the media is trying to make of it. Whether you and Lucien were seen kissing or whatever, it's none of my business"

Her eyes sparkled with amusement, almost predatory. "Are you sure about that? Because I can see it—jealousy. Written all over your face. I can do anything I want with Lucien. You? You're stuck hiding, sneaking around. You can't come out publicly. But it's okay for me. It's more than okay."

Something in me twisted. Her words cut deeper than I expected, and for a moment, I could feel anger and fear mingle inside me.

"You really want to see my real face, Mira?" I said, my voice low and dangerous. "The last time I warned you, you didn't listen. Keep pushing me, and I'll show you exactly what I'm capable of."

She laughed, unbothered. I lunged, grabbing a fistful of her hair, and yanked sharply, my eyes blazing.

At that moment, the kitchen door opened.

Lucien. He stepped in, his eyes immediately taking in the scene us, tense and angry, Mira's smug little smirk, and the faint bruises I could see on his arms from...whatever he'd been up to today.

I let go of Mira, releasing her with a shove, my chest heaving. I didn't say anything. I simply turned on my heel and walked out of the kitchen, anger boiling in my veins.

Upstairs, I slammed my bedroom door behind me, letting the noise echo off the walls. I paced, hands running through my hair again and again, trying to untangle the storm of thoughts in my head.

Mira. Her words. The implication that Lucien might be...capable of being with her. That she thought she could just take him.

And me. Sitting there, powerless to do anything. I wanted answers. I needed to hear from him.

But instead...Mira had attacked first. And I didn't even know what to do with the rage, frustration, and longing that churned in my chest. Before I could sink further into my frustration, the door opened slowly.

"Valentina..."

Lucien stepped inside, his eyes locking onto mine immediately. His face was serious, unreadable, but I could feel the tension radiating from him. He didn't say anything at first he just closed the door behind him, and for a heartbeat, we just stood there, breathing the same air, the air thick with everything left unsaid.

"I know you have seen the news. And I want you to hear it from me first."

I stiffened. "Yes. The pictures. The headline. The..." I swallowed hard. "Lucien, what the hell is going on?"

He took a step closer. "Val... I didn't—" His voice was steady but sharp. "I didn't do what they're implying. Mira and I... we were joking around. That's all. Nothing more. I didn't touch her, not really. And I had no idea the media would spin it like that."

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to, but the image on my phone him and Mira, so close, burned in my mind.

"And why does it look like you two are... kissing?" I asked quietly, my chest tightening, my hands trembling slightly.

"I swear to you," he said, his tone darkening, protective. "I didn't. I was caught off guard. They got the angle wrong. The lighting, the timing... it's nothing. Nothing like what it looks like."

I sank down onto the edge of my bed, still reeling. "But... people saw it. Everyone can see it now. Everyone knows."

He knelt in front of me, his hands on my knees, looking me in the eye. "I don't care what they think. Only you matter. You have to believe that. You're the only one I care about, Valentina."

A small, bitter smile tugged at my lips. "Too bad... I don't think we can be together."

He froze, confusion flickering in his eyes. "What... what do you mean?"

I let out a shaky breath, trying to make sense of my own words. "I think Mira was right Mira. She can openly do whatever she wants with you. But I... I can't. Because... because I'm your stepmother. It's... it's impossible. Maybe we've been lying to ourselves all this while, knowing that this... this can't really happen. But... we're still trying to hold on to it."

Before I could finish, he silenced me with his lips. The kiss was sudden, intense, and everything else disappeared the anger, the doubt, the media, even Mira. I let myself sink into it, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. Every hesitation melted away.

When we finally broke apart, we rested our foreheads together, panting, hearts hammering in unison. His hands lingered on my waist, keeping me close.

"I... I fucking love you, Valentina," he whispered, voice raw and fierce. "And nothing... nothing can change that."

My chest felt like it was going to burst. I wanted to tell him the same, to melt into him, but the words caught in my throat. Because I was overwhelmed. I had been wanting to hear that from him for a long time. And it finally came leaving me short of words. 

However, before I could muster up th courage to respond to him, the sound of the doorknob turning followed by the door opening echoed. 

We both snapped our heads toward it. And air left my lungs.