Sasha’s POVI felt like I had endured a catastrophe. Suddenly, I needed to know who Sandra was.Why did Valentino keep mentioning her name whenever he abused me?It seemed likely Sandra resembled me in some way, or he wouldn't accuse me of impersonating her.One thing was clear: Sandra had deeply wronged Valentino, evoking both his love and his hate.The next morning, I woke up feeling like my bones might shatter. Despite my weakness, I muster the strength to rise from the bed.I see my mistakes and how I allowed my naivety to take over. The contract with Valentino was just the beginning.From Valentino's demeanor yesterday, it's clear he harbors both deep hatred and love for Sandra. I must be the one he's chosen to replace her.I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but end up retching instead.Examining the bruises and ambiguous marks on my body, I grimace. I gingerly step off the bed, only to find my legs buckling beneath me, forcing me to sit on the floor.My legs are like
Sasha's POVValentino stood at the door, but before he could utter a word, I had instructed Jared to drive off.My change had unsettled him. It seemed he couldn't control me. He had signed the contract, but my transformation surpassed his expectations.As soon as I entered the company, I was greeted with immense respect."Good morning, Chairman Sasha!""Good morning, Chairman!"...and so on.Everyone greeted me with reverence, their eyes filled with admiration.I acknowledged their greetings with a nod, maintaining a professional distance. Walking briskly, I surprised those around me with my speed.Most employees had met me before.Previously, I was like a timid rabbit, protected under the former chairman's wing. I rarely took an active role, visiting the company more as a formality than to engage with its operations.Now, everything has changed in just a month. My presence exuded confidence and capability.Not only had my demeanor transformed, but my competence had also grown.Clemen
Sasha's POVA few minutes later, as soon as I leave to handle some matters, Jared immediately calls Dr. Luke."Luke, I need to ask you something.""What is it?" Dr. Luke sounds surprised to receive a call from Valentino's special assistant."My boss, do you think he might have a mental illness?" Jared hesitates, then asks directly. "After Sandra left, he seemed greatly affected. Could he have suffered psychological trauma? Should he seek treatment?"On the other end of the line, Dr. Luke bursts out laughing. "Jared, you have quite the reflex arc. Why didn't you think your boss had a heart condition from the start and only brought this up now?""It's not me who brought it up—" Jared starts to say before stopping himself."Let me guess, was it Sasha, your current boss?" Dr. Luke chuckles knowingly."Dr. Luke, you're sharp. Please don't tell the boss," Jared says earnestly."To be honest, your boss does have some quirks, but his condition is stable. It's nothing serious. I'm more concer
Sasha's POV"Who is Sandra?" I asked, my mind racing as I processed the information from the documents. "I don't have any connection with Valentino beyond the contract. There's no point in confronting me with this."But then, Amelia suddenly exclaimed, "Sasha, why are you digging into Sandra like this? Do you know she's a sensitive topic for Valentino? What are you trying to accomplish?"I raised my brow, surprised by Amelia's sudden change in appearance. I turned to see Valentino standing behind me, his expression cold and unforgiving.Well, there was no use arguing now.Amelia quickly spoke up, clutching the papers in her hands. "Valentino, she was asking about Sandra and pressed me for information. I don't know how she found out about our connection, but she cornered me and threatened me.""I didn't investigate Sandra," I cut in sharply as I returned the documents to Amelia. "She invited me for coffee and gave me these documents. Thank you. I understand who Sandra is now. I'll take
Sasha’s POVThe passersby instinctively cleared a path.All eyes turned towards me.I was stunned.Why was Valentino seeking me out now?Beside me, Priscilla was also momentarily speechless, sensing Valentino's gaze fixed on me.I recalled seeing news reports that mentioned Valentino helping me regain Rex Corp. It seemed those reports weren't baseless."Is he your man?" Priscilla whispered.I shook my head. The relationship between Valentino and me was nothing like that of a husband and wife. It was more like the relationship between Priscilla and Maria—where she was taken care of financially, and I received assistance and mentorship from him.In essence, it wasn't all that different.The commotion around us erupted into a chorus of exclamations."Wow, is that Valentino's girlfriend?""She's stunning!""Isn't that Sasha? I remember a magazine report about her and Valentino's ambiguous relationship. They said Valentino helped her reclaim her company.""Are Sasha and Valentino more than
Sasha’s POVRegardless of whether Valentino ate them or not, I dug in. I was genuinely hungry after a long day of class and an evening without dinner. It was late now, and this meal felt like supper. Instant noodles was the most convenient and delicious food in the world.Valentino hesitated for a while as he saw me eating. His stomach growled audibly, clearly betraying his hunger.After a few minutes of thinking, he sat down and took a bite. Observing my satisfied expression, he refrained from requesting anything else.His initial distaste softened as he continued eating.The taste wasn't as bad as he'd expected.I sipped some hot water to clear her palate, then looked up at Valentino. "I guess the taste isn't as bad as you thought, right? It's quite delicious. Eat up while it's still hot."With that, I resumed devouring the noodles, not bothered about looking porsh or acting like a big girl. I could feel myself sweating a bit from the heat.After I finished eating I used a tissue t
Sasha's POVI tried to close my eyes, pretending not to hear anything, pretending to be asleep.It was so embarrassing. We weren't a couple, not even dating. Just a physical relationship, yet here I was, sharing a bed with Valentino without understanding why. Did I accidentally attract him today, like putting honey on myself?"Come here," his voice called again, making me shiver.In the darkness, I continued to feign sleep, hoping he'd leave me alone."You're asleep? Can you sleep every second?" His voice dripped with irony.I froze.Suddenly, his large hand pulled me towards him, and I found myself nestled against Valentino's warm chest. His grip was firm, holding me close, making me feel uneasy all over.But then, he used me as a pillow, his arms and legs wrapped around me, until his breathing evened out.I dared not move. Trying to shift away only made him hold me tighter as if warning me not to escape.The position was uncomfortable, and eventually, exhaustion took over, and I fel
Sasha's POV"Jared, you're a one-of-a-kind find. If I weren't your boss, I'd be trying to poach you for myself," I teased.Jared chuckled, the sound warm and familiar.He'd been Valentino's right hand for years, and everyone knew his loyalty was unshakeable. Headhunters circled him like sharks, offering better deals and brighter futures, but Jared remained steadfast. It wasn't just loyalty that kept him at Valentino's side, though. There was a spark in his eyes when he talked about the company, a passion that sometimes flared into a kind of controlled frenzy.We left the office together, heading for my place. Jared was there to meet the new trainer who'd be whipping me into shape.A black SUV pulled up as we arrived, and a tall, broad-shouldered man emerged. Victor. He radiated a rugged masculinity, his athletic build straining against his comfortable workout gear. There was a no-nonsense air about him, a directness in his gaze that I found instantly appealing.After introductions and
Valentino’s POV I promised if I found Sasha, I was going to make her my wife. This time for real and no longer would she be a placeholder. “Arrgh,” I screamed as Jared let me in on Sasha being kidnapped by that fool, Dave Martin. I had beaten him to a bulb and had him leave her alone. After all these years, all these moments, he had been lurking, laying siege to Sasha, and I..I foolishly let her leave into harm’s way. Sasha was a beautiful bird and a lot of predators were circling her, trying to take advantage of her. “Get me Dave on the line, Jared,” my voice hurried as I threw my fists in the air. “Dave Partner boss?” Jared questioned. I didn’t know if to smack his face or to laugh this over with but there were no jokes tonight. Only thing on my mind was getting Sasha back, here with me, whole and as my real wife. “Fuck it Jared, I’m talking about Dave Martin, get him on the line now. Didn’t you just tell me he’s the one who’s got Sasha and you're talking some gibberish.”
Sasha’s POV “Let me go…please..let..me..g…” I had a wood plank on my head and I lost consciousness. It was at this moment I wished I had not run away from Valentino. Problems seemed to follow me each time I was away from him. He was a refuge and a strong fortress for me and this time, more than ever, I hoped he’d found me. I felt a weight over my body as I slowly gained consciousness. Studying the environment, I opened my right eye slowly, as it hurt so much, and my head hurt so much to open even my very own eyes. I was tied up in a chair and I couldn’t tell where exactly I was but it didn’t seem like a warehouse. I could tell this was someone’s house but couldn’t tell who exactly it was. “I am blindfolded so how do I even know where this is,” I uttered under my breath. Maybe I should scream and some passer-by could come to my rescue or call the police and I could get out of here. I didn’t want any of those men who must have brought me here to find me here. They were damn mea
Sasha’s POV “What was that?” I yelled, my voice shaking with frustration. I couldn’t believe Emilia had let me down like this. She was the only one I had trusted with my secret, the only person who knew exactly where I was. I had begged her not to tell anyone until I was far away, safe in Spain. And now, it felt like everything was crashing down around me. I felt this deep pain in my chest like someone was pressing down on me with the weight of a thousand boulders. Everything I loved had been ripped away from me. My family was gone, my company had been stolen from me, and even Valentino—my Valentino—was no longer by my side. There was nothing left for me here. Nothing. But when I heard Valentino’s voice over the phone, it did something to me. It was like a tiny spark in a room full of darkness. My heart, which had felt so cold and broken, suddenly stirred with the smallest flicker of life. “I can’t do this anymore,” I whispered, talking to no one but myself. “I can’t stay here.
Valentino's POV I grab Emilia’s phone and frantically try to call Sasha, but I can’t get through. Frustrated, I look at Emilia coldly and ask, "Do you know where she is? What do you know about her?" "I... I don’t know," Emilia says, frowning. "Sasha is being super careful this time. She didn’t tell me where she’s staying. She said you might come looking for her through me, so she didn’t want to risk it because she thinks I can't keep a secret." Emilia pouts, looking all upset. "But it's late. Maybe she's already asleep, so not picking up isn’t that weird." Jared turns to me. "What about tomorrow?" I frown, thinking it over for a second. "Track her number. Find out where Sasha is," I say, determined. "Alright, I’ll get someone to track her phone and find her," Jared replies, nodding. Emilia just watches us, looking a little confused. She pouts again, like she’s thinking something over, but doesn’t say anything after a while. Finally, she shrugs. "You guys do your thing. I’m
Sasha's POV Fred and I are really funny after we drink too much. We keep guessing things and playing games, and we hold each other a lot.Gabriel looks annoyed as he tries to separate us, not wanting us to keep holding on to each other."Enough already! Stop it!" Gabriel frowns and says, "You’re both drunk.""We're not drunk!""Yeah, you’re the one who's drunk!" We both stare at him for a moment and then start laughing.Gabriel looks frustrated as he watches us, knowing he can’t change our minds.Luckily, Fred and I pass out after drinking. That gives Gabriel some time to clean up after us.Over the next two days, I talked with Gabriel and Fred about starting a film company in the United States.In the end, Gabriel agrees that Fred and I can work together to plan this film company.…Valentino's POV I keep searching for Sasha, but with Gabriel and Sandra causing problems for me, I haven’t heard from her at all.Jared comes to my house and tells me what he’s found during his search.
Valentino's POV Sasha disappeared, and for two days, I, Valentino, searched for her, but I couldn’t find her anywhere.Jared was looking everywhere too. He tried all kinds of things, but it felt like someone was always getting in the way. Many surveillance cameras had been hacked, and some videos were missing, so he couldn’t find Sasha directly.I was left with no choice but to use the simplest method: sending a lot of people to ask about Sasha’s whereabouts.All over the city, people were taking photos of Sasha, trying to find out where she was.But no one knew where she had gone.It was like she had vanished completely.I was losing my mind. I couldn’t believe Sasha had disappeared from my life, and I just couldn’t accept it.“It’s time for you to eat, sir,” one of the maids said, sounding worried about me. I had lost a lot of weight in just two days. “Even if you don’t eat, your wife might not show up. You should have a good meal. I don’t think she would want to see you like this.
Sasha's POV I looked at Gabriel like he was an idiot. "If I went to be a cook with this kind of skill, I'd probably get myself killed..."Seriously, who doesn’t know how to make hot pot? It’s just tossing everything into a pot to cook. When I was studying abroad and craved hot pot, I used to make it in my dorm all the time."Really? It all looks so delicious. You seem pretty talented. How could you get yourself killed? If anyone dares to mess with you, I'll take care of them first," Gabriel said, grabbing his chopsticks to sneak a taste.Once I finished setting the table, I told him, "Sit down and eat.""Alright," he replied.But just as Gabriel was about to sit, the doorbell rang."Who is it?" I asked, looking at him."I'll go check. Maybe it's some big star!" Gabriel joked as he ran to the door, chatting briefly with whoever was outside.From the sound of it, it seemed like more than one person had shown up. A little curious, I peeked out and saw a familiar face.Why is he here?I
Sasha's POV The maid stopped me as I was leaving and asked, "Where are you going, ma'am?"It seemed like she was confused about why I was leaving. Everyone always thought my husband and I were close, so this sudden departure must've seemed strange. Maybe they thought Sandra had some evil plan to push me out.The maids didn’t trust Sandra. They knew she wasn’t a good person, and it seemed like they wanted me to stay.I smiled at the maid and said, "I'm leaving. I'll see you later."I tried to walk out with my head held high, pretending everything was okay. But inside, I was breaking. I was sad, hurt, and didn’t want to leave at all.As I walked out, I could feel Sandra’s eyes on me. I knew she was smiling, satisfied with herself. With me gone, she probably thought she could hide better and make Valentino forget about me.The maids were glaring at Sandra, clearly not happy with her. But she didn’t care. She knew she would be the lady of the house soon and could treat them however she l
Valentino's POV I came back home, but I couldn’t sleep all night.Early the next morning, my phone rang. It was my grandfather telling me to come back to the old house.“I got it. I’ll be there soon,” I replied before hanging up.After changing into a fresh set of clothes, I went to Sasha’s room. She drank too much last night and stayed up late, so she was still fast asleep. Her sleeping posture was a bit messy, almost childlike, but she looked so cute.I tucked her in before heading downstairs.“My wife is still sleeping. When she wakes up, make sure to prepare some breakfast and soup to help with the hangover. If she’s not feeling well, call a doctor to check on her. I’m heading out.”“Yes, sir.”I drove off, leaving the maids to continue their work. I overheard them talking about yesterday and how drunk my wife had gotten.But one thing was clear—they knew I cared about her. They’d make sure she was well taken care of.I pulled up in front of the old house in my car. As I stepped