Chapter 9 Chapter 9
Valentina
I barely slept last night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him. The way Lucian looked at me his eyes dark, unreadable, dangerous. The way his fingers brushed against mine when he took the knife. It was nothing, just a touch, and yet... it burned.
God, what was wrong with me?
I shouldn't be thinking about that moment, replaying it over and over in my head. But I could still feel it the pull. His voice, his stare, the way his body moved closer as if daring me not to breathe.
I scolded myself silently, dragging my hands over my face. You're insane, Valentina. I'd gone down to the kitchen to eat an apple, not to lose my mind over my husband's son. Yet somehow, I ended up running off like a scared girl, leaving the apple untouched on the counter.
Why did he have that effect on me? Why did my heart race when he looked at me, like I was standing on the edge of something I shouldn't even be near? He was supposed to be off limits completely off limits.
He was Ambrose's son. My stepson.
And I was his father's wife.
But no matter how hard I tried, my thoughts twisted in ways they shouldn't. The image of how his breath will be against my neck, his hand sliding down my arm, his lips—
I exhaled sharply, snapping out of it. Stop it.
Ambrose was the man I should be thinking about, not Lucian. But Ambrose didn't make my pulse race. He intimidated me, controlled me, but never once made me feel.
Now, even the thought of sitting beside Lucian again in that suffocating car made my stomach tighten.
"Mrs. Benedict?"
The sound of Mr. Evans's voice jolted me back to the present. My head snapped up to find him staring at me expectantly, a clipboard in hand.
"Huh?"
He adjusted his glasses politely. "I was asking if you'd prefer to select your own secretary, or should I proceed with the shortlisted candidates Mr. Benedict approved?"
Oh. Right. We were in a meeting. About staffing. About work.
And I hadn't heard a single word.
I cleared my throat, trying to hide my embarrassment. "Uh—yes, continue," I muttered, pretending to glance at the files while my mind was still somewhere else entirely.
"Then I'll go ahead with the selection, Mrs. Benedict. You should have a secretary by the end of the week."
"Thank you, Mr. Evans," I said, forcing a polite smile.
He gave one of his usual courteous nods. "Would you like me to get you anything before I leave?"
I shook my head lightly. "No, thank you, sir. I was actually about to go get lunch."
"Very well, Mrs. Benedict." He bowed slightly and stepped out, closing the door behind him.
The moment the latch clicked, I let out a long, tired sigh and leaned back in my chair.
My phone pinged. I glanced down to see it was a reply from Violeta. I have texted her to meet.
Violeta: We are here already! Come soon!
A smile tugged at my lips. Honestly, I missed them more than I'd admitted to anyone or even to myself. Around them, I could breathe, laugh, forget for a moment the cage I'd willingly walked into.
And now, with everything weighing on me, maybe it was time to do just that to cool off, to pretend for a little while that things were normal.
I grabbed my bag, ignoring the small voice in my head that sounded like my father's.He wouldn't like this. He doesn't like them going out unnecessarily.
⸻
The restaurant wasn't far from the company a cozy, quiet place with soft lighting. I spotted Violeta almost immediately; she was waving enthusiastically from a corner booth, her red nails flashing in the air.
Beside her sat Viviana, her head buried in a book as usual, completely oblivious to her surroundings. That girl could drown in a novel and forget the world was burning.
"Over here!" Violeta called again, grinning as I walked in.
I couldn't help but smile as I made my way toward them, the sight of my sisters already melting some of the tension in my chest.
“Look who finally decided to show up,” Violeta teased the moment I slid into the booth across from them.
“I’ve been working,” I said, rolling my eyes but smiling anyway. “Some of us don’t get to live the free life you do.”
“Free?” She scoffed dramatically, tossing her hair back. “Please. Have you forgotten I told you father grounded me for an entire week because I talked to a guy at the academy. One conversation, Valentina. I swear he acts like I’ll get married just by saying hello.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. “You know how he is. Overprotective doesn’t even begin to describe him.”
“Overcontrolling, you mean. He even talked about switching schools again. Said I’m becoming too ‘distracted.’ Can you believe that?”
Violeta always acted like she didn’t care, but I knew the truth she hated being caged as much as I once did.
“I’m sorry, Vio,” I said softly. “You don’t deserve that.”
She shrugged, but her eyes flickered with sadness. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”
Viviana finally looked up from her book, her glasses slipping slightly down her nose. “Used to it doesn’t mean it’s okay,”
Violeta rolled her eyes. “And here comes the wise one.”
Viviana ignored her, turning to me instead. “How are you, Valentina? Really?”
The question made me pause. I wanted to tell them everything that the house felt like a trap, that Ambrose was colder than stone, and that his son, Lucian, made my pulse race for all the wrong reasons.
But I couldn’t.
I forced a smile. “I’m… adjusting. It’s different, but I’m fine.”
Violeta studied me for a moment, not convinced. “You sure? Because you sound like someone trying to convince herself.”
“I’m sure,” I lied. I wouldn't want to put them into worry.
“Hmm.” Violeta sighed and leaned back. “Well, if you ever need rescuing, call me. I’ll drive over and kidnap you myself.”
That earned a small laugh from all of us even Viviana smiled a little.
For a while, the conversation shifted to lighter things Violeta’s wild stories, Viviana’s obsession with her books, and memories that almost made me forget the heavy pull waiting for me back home.
Almost. Because every time I drifted off, I could still see him. Lucian.
The way he looked at me in the kitchen like he could see every forbidden thought I was trying to bury.
And even as I sat there surrounded by my sisters, I couldn’t shake that feeling creeping up my spine.
The feeling that no matter how far I tried to run from it, he’d already found a way under my skin.