Chapter 56 Fifty Six.

Chapter 56 Fifty Six.
VALERIE

I didn’t cry. That was what struck me first. Everything else blurred—the noise, the stares—but I stayed still.

Vanessa was wrapped around Lucas.

Exactly where… I should have been if things were different.

I didn’t react. I absorbed it quietly, inwardly, without protest. The pain wasn’t in seeing her there. It was how little my body resisted, as if it had already known.

What hurt almost as much was Lucas’s face. He didn’t pull away or show the slightest sign of being upset. He just stood there, frozen, staring at her like she was a dream come true.

Like he’d been waiting for this moment.

Of course he had.

He had always been waiting for her.

The thought landed softly and still managed to break something in me.

Sofia stepped out from the corner, phone in hand. Her eyes landed on Lucas and Vanessa, and her mouth fell open; shock froze her features.

Vanessa, meanwhile, was enjoying herself, and she registered Sofia's presence immediately.

She reached up and tugged Lucas’s suit jacket into place, smoothing it with deliberate intimacy, her lips stretched into a wide, satisfied grin.

She turned to the crowd, pressed a hand to her forehead, then smiled broadly, eyes wide and hands clasped, her excitement radiating.

“I apologize, everyone,” she said sweetly. “I know you must be wondering who I am. I’ve been away for quite some time now—but I’m back.”

She tilted her head, gaze flicking briefly toward Lucas. “And you can’t blame a happy wife for reuniting with her husband after being away for work for so long… right?”

The word wife echoed.

Silence swallowed the hallway.

The staff exchanged glances, confused as they looked between us—two identical women on opposite sides of the same man.

I felt myself shrink inside my own skin.

My heart felt like it forgot how to beat.

Something in Lucas snapped. His jaw ticked, and he grabbed Vanessa’s wrist, pulling her toward his office.

“We’ll be right back, guyyyyss,” Vanessa sang as she was dragged along.

“He’s just overwhelmed—he always gets like this when he’s excited.”

Her voice faded as the door closed behind them.

The hallway stayed quiet, still full of questions.

Across the space, my eyes met Sofia’s.

The shock was still there—but it softened when she saw me. I gave her a small, weak smile, one that barely felt like mine.

Then I turned and walked away before anyone could ask anything at all.

The moment the door shut behind me, the silence rushed in too fast.

I pressed my palm against the door, trying to steady my shallow, uneven breaths. When I pushed off, the room tilted and the floor swayed.

I clutched the edge of my desk as the dizziness lingered, pulsing heavy and slow like waves through my head.

Then the door opened.

“Valerie!”

Sofia burst in, panic sharp in her voice, and her hand was on my shoulder before I registered her.

“Hey. Sit down. Sit.”

She eased me into the chair, as if letting go would make me vanish. I felt small and drained.

She pulled a chair opposite mine. “Talk to me. How do you feel now?”

I pressed my fingers to my temple as a pulse flared there. “It’s easing,” I said quietly. “I’m okay.”

Sofia exhaled harshly as she straightened. “How dare that bitch just waltz back in here like she owns the place?”

“What?” I asked faintly.

Sofia shot me a look. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’m not censoring myself for her sake. She’s vile.”

I frowned. “She’s still my—”

“Don’t,” Sofia cut in. “Don’t say twin. She doesn’t act like it in any way, and she lost that right a long time ago.”

“Don’t defend her,” she snapped.
“Don’t even try. She comes back like that, makes a scene, humiliates you—”

“She didn’t humiliate me,” I said, though my voice lacked conviction.

Sofia stared. “Valerie, she called herself his wife in front of everyone.”

The word lodged deep.

“Don’t even pretend,” Sofia snapped. “She knew exactly what she was doing.”

I stayed quiet.

“And you,” she snapped. “What is wrong with you?”

My brows pulled together. “Sofia—”

“I blame you,” she said, softer now but no less fierce. “I blame you for all of this. You had all the time in the world to tell Lucas how you felt, but you didn’t. You locked it away. You chose silence. And now that devil is back—what exactly did you think would happen?”

Her words hit, sharp and unfiltered.

I looked at her, truly at her. “What was I supposed to do?”

She hesitated. “You were supposed to fight.”

I shook my head slowly. “I don’t know how.”

The admission felt heavier than anything else I’d said all day.

Sofia squinted. “What did you just say?”

My lips trembled, a tear sliding down my cheek. I hid my face in my hands, embarrassed by how fragile these past weeks had left me.

Her voice softened immediately. “Hey… hey, that’s enough.”

She moved closer and crouched slightly so we were eye-level. “I know exactly how all of this feels, Valerie. I do. But you can’t afford to give up. Who knows…”

“Who knows what?” I asked, voice trembling.

Sofia opened her mouth to answer, but I cut her off. “I don’t care anymore, Sofia. Did you see the look on Lucas’s face? Did he even flinch? Did he look upset in the slightest?”

She stayed silent, watching me.

“No,” I whispered, the words caught.

“He didn’t. If anything… he looked elated to see her.” My voice cracked.

“Sofia… so please, don’t ask me to fight for a man who clearly doesn’t want me in his life anymore. It’s humiliating. And this… this is where we part ways emotionally.”

Sofia released a low sigh. She dropped her gaze, then lifted it again to meet mine.

Her lips parted slowly.

“But Valerie… what if… Lucas is in love with you too?”

I lowered my hand, blinking at her soft, expectant smile. I stiffened and looked away, shaking my head.

“Just stop it, Sofia. You and I both know that’s not possible. Why would you even think something like that?”

Her smile didn’t waver. “Who said it’s not possible, Valerie?”

I frowned. “Because… because it just isn’t.”

“Valerie,” she said quietly but firmly, “how would you know that your feelings aren’t one-sided? Especially considering you’ve been shutting him out… haven’t let him say a word?”

I froze, heart hammering. “How do you know I’ve been shutting him out?”

She stiffened and stared at me silently.

The office door opened abruptly.

“Valerie! The hell was that back there?” Adrian’s voice boomed as he stepped in.

“What’s going on? Why the hell does that woman look exactly like you?”

His eyes softened as they flicked between me and Sofia. “Hey… Valerie… why are you crying?”

I fidgeted with my nails, not wanting to explain, not wanting to be seen like this.

My heart raced, panic simmering under the surface. I grabbed my bag and phone from the desk.

“Valerie!!” Sofia called.

“Valerie! Wait—” Adrian’s voice echoed after me, but I didn’t stop.