12

The dining room was eerily quiet, save for the soft clinking of silverware against fine china. Valeria sat across from Markus at the long table, her appetite subdued by the tension that always seemed to linger between them. She kept her eyes on her plate, taking small bites of the pasta in front of her, while Markus ate in his usual, methodical manner.

He barely glanced in her direction, his expression neutral yet distant. The strained silence was heavy, each moment stretching longer than the last. Valeria wondered if he would leave the table without a word, as he often did, but to her surprise, he reached for his napkin.

Markus wiped his mouth with the crisp white cloth and stood, the legs of his chair scraping softly against the polished floor. He folded the napkin neatly and placed it beside his empty plate, his movements deliberate and precise.

“I need to discuss something important with you,” he said, his voice low and even as he looked at her. Valeria’s fork paused mid-air, her stomach knotting at his words. She glanced up at him, her expression cautious. “Now?”

Markus shook his head, adjusting the cuffs of his tailored shirt. “Finish your meal first. I’ll be in my study. Come find me when you’re done.”

Without waiting for her response, he turned and strode out of the room, his footsteps echoing in the spacious hall. Valeria watched him leave, her chest tightening with unease. What could he possibly want to discuss? The way he had spoken made it sound serious, yet his tone had given nothing away.

She placed her fork down, her appetite completely gone now. Her mind raced with possibilities, each one more unsettling than the last. Was he finally going to bring up the divorce papers? Or perhaps he had discovered her pregnancy?

Taking a deep breath, Valeria tried to steady herself. Whatever it was, she would face it. She had no other choice. After a few more minutes of sitting in silence, she pushed her plate away and stood, smoothing down her dress before heading toward his study.

When she reached the heavy wooden door, she paused for a moment, her hand hovering over the handle. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest as she took one final deep breath and pushed the door open.

Markus was standing by the large window, his hands in his pockets as he gazed out at the sprawling estate beyond. The sunlight streaming through the glass cast a warm glow over the room, but the atmosphere felt anything but inviting.

“You’re here,” he said without turning around, his tone as unreadable as ever.

“Yes,” Valeria replied, her voice softer than she intended. She closed the door behind her and stepped further into the room.

Markus finally turned to face her, his sharp features set in an expression she couldn’t quite decipher. “Take a seat,” he said, motioning to the chair across from his desk.

Valeria hesitated for a moment before nodding and sitting down, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She waited for him to speak, her anxiety growing with each passing second.

Markus moved to sit behind the desk, his dark eyes meeting hers. “There are some things we need to address before my mother comes back.” he began, his tone calm yet firm. Valeria’s pulse quickened as she braced herself for what was to come.

Markus leaned back in his chair, his piercing gaze locking onto Valeria’s. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the wooden armrest, a sign of his restrained impatience. The silence between them stretched until he finally spoke.

“I’ve been thinking,” he began, his voice steady yet laced with a faint edge. “I understand why my mother… fancies you as her daughter-in-law. You’re graceful, polite, and exactly the kind of woman she believes would fit perfectly into this family.”

Valeria’s chest tightened at his words, her heart sinking further with every syllable. She didn’t respond, her hands gripping the fabric of her dress as she tried to steady herself.

“But,” Markus continued, his tone taking on a sharper note, “we both know this marriage is a façade. There’s no love here—no connection, no bond. And frankly, you shouldn’t have to stay in a loveless marriage, especially when you’re in love with someone else.”

Valeria’s head shot up at his words, her eyes wide with surprise. “What?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Markus let out a dry laugh, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk. “Don’t look so shocked, Valeria. You think I didn’t notice? The way you get lost in your thoughts, the way you look at me like I’m a stranger… You’re still hung up on whoever it was you left behind to marry me. Am I wrong?”

Valeria’s lips parted, but no words came out. The lump in her throat grew tighter as she stared at him, her mind racing. She wanted to deny it, to tell him he was wrong, but the truth hung heavy between them, undeniable and suffocating.

Markus sighed, leaning back in his chair again. “Look, I’m not blaming you,” he said, his tone softening slightly. “I didn’t exactly marry you out of love either. This was my mother’s doing, her grand plan to secure some ideal version of a family legacy. But that doesn’t mean we have to live like this—trapped, miserable, pretending this is something it’s not.”

Valeria’s hands trembled as she looked down at her lap, her vision blurring with unshed tears. “What are you saying?” she asked, her voice shaky.

“I’m saying you don’t have to do this anymore,” Markus said firmly. “You don’t have to stay in this marriage out of obligation to my mother or anyone else. If you want out, say the word, and I’ll make it happen. I’ll sign the papers, give you whatever you want—freedom, money, anything. You don’t have to keep punishing yourself by staying here.”

Valeria stared at him, her heart pounding. She had imagined this moment before—an escape, a way out of the suffocating situation she found herself in. But now that it was here, it didn’t feel like relief. It felt like a knife twisting in her chest.

“I…” she began, her voice breaking. “It’s not that simple.”

Markus frowned, his dark brows drawing together. “Why not? What’s holding you back?”

Valeria hesitated, her hand instinctively moving to rest over her stomach. She couldn’t tell him—not yet, not like this. The truth about the child growing inside her would only complicate things further.

“I just need time,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “Please, Markus, just… give me some time to figure things out.”

Markus studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he nodded, though the tension in his jaw betrayed his frustration. “Fine. Time is the one thing I can give you,” he said curtly. “But that is not what I want from you.”

As Valeria stepped toward the door, her hand barely brushing the handle, Markus’s voice stopped her cold.

“Wait,” he said, his tone sharp and commanding.

She froze, turning back slowly to see him pulling open a drawer from his desk. Her heart sank as he retrieved a small stack of papers, their crisp edges catching the sunlight filtering in through the window. Markus placed them deliberately on the desk in front of him, the sound of the paper hitting the surface louder than it should have been.

“Come here,” he said, his voice low but resolute.

Valeria hesitated, her fingers tightening around the edge of her dress. The weight of the moment pressed down on her chest, suffocating and unbearable. She didn’t move until Markus looked up, his dark eyes piercing into hers with an intensity that made her feel small.

Reluctantly, she stepped closer, her legs shaky beneath her. When she reached the desk, her gaze fell on the papers. Her breath hitched as the word at the top leaped out at her in bold, unforgiving letters: Divorce Agreement.

She stared blankly at the documents, her chest tightening as if someone had gripped her heart in their hands. The room suddenly felt too small, the air too thick.

“I can’t give you the rights of my wife, Valeria,” Markus said, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. He leaned back in his chair, his expression cold and detached. “I thought I could try, that maybe with time, things would change. But they haven’t. And they won’t.”

Valeria’s lips parted, but no words came out. Her throat was dry, and her mind was spinning, unable to process what was happening.

Markus leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk as he looked her straight in the eyes. “I don’t love you,” he said bluntly, his voice unwavering. “I never have, and I never will. I married you because my mother pushed for it, but it was a mistake—a mistake I don’t want to keep living with. You shouldn’t have to live with it either.”

Tears welled in Valeria’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to hold herself together. “You…” she began, her voice trembling. “You could have at least tried, Markus. You didn’t even give us a chance.”

Markus’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t look away. “It wouldn’t have mattered. My heart belongs to someone else.”

At his words, Valeria felt as though the ground had been ripped out from under her. She took a step back, her hand instinctively moving to her stomach. “Someone else…” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes,” Markus said, his tone softening for the first time. “Her name is Bella. She’s the woman I love, the woman I’ll always love. That’s why this—us—will never work. It’s not fair to you or to me to keep pretending otherwise.”

Valeria’s tears finally broke free, streaming down her cheeks as she looked at the man she had once believed she could build a life with. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him how cruel he was being, but the words caught in her throat.

Markus pushed the papers toward her, the sharp scrape of them against the desk making her flinch. “I’ve made arrangements for you,” he said. “You’ll have everything you need—alimony, the house, anything you want. All you have to do is sign.”

Valeria stared at the papers, her vision blurred by tears. The man who sat before her, so composed and detached, felt like a stranger. She wanted to argue, to beg for a chance, but deep down, she knew it was pointless.

After a long moment, she straightened her back and wiped her tears away with trembling fingers. “You’ve already made up your mind,” she said, her voice barely steady. “Haven’t you?”

Markus didn’t respond, but the silence was answer enough. Valeria nodded, her heart breaking into pieces. “Fine,” she whispered. “I’ll sign them.” Without another word, she turned and walked out of the study with an unclear head.