VALERIA I laid Nickolas on the bed and cleaned his body, which had been wrecked of alcohol. When I was satisfied, I showered and lay beside him, after which I dozed off as well. Deep in my sleep, I perceived a strong, rusty, and potent smell of blood. It made my stomach churn as I stirred around the bed. When it struck me that it might be my period, I jerked off the bed and rushed to the bathroom, panting as I wondered why it had to start today of all days. I peeled off my clothes from my body and checked myself, but I saw nothing. Then what was that smell? I quickly put on my clothes and rushed out of the bedroom. The smell hit my nostrils again and caused an uproar in my stomach. I switched on the lights, and my jaw dropped. "Nickolas!" I screamed and rushed to him. I kneeled beside him as he kept on vomiting blood. Tears welled up in my eyes as I paced around the room, thinking about what to do. My eyes darted to the wal
NICKOLAS My eyes zipped open at the sound of the footsteps. My back ached as I buried my face in the pillow and threw the covers over my head while I scrambled against the bed. My thoughts drifted off to what had happened last night. I couldn't remember exactly what happened, but I could pick pieces of it apart. I jerked my head and searched around for Valeria, but she was nowhere in sight. I pushed the blanket away from my chest and rushed to the window. I stared outside the driveway and then the bathroom. Did she leave? Why? My gaze darted to the door as it flew open, and Valeria walked in with one of the hotel receptionists behind her pushing a trolley. "Valeria..." I whispered. “You can leave." Valeria curled her fingers around the trolley, and the lady shut the door behind her. Valeria rushed up to me, her palm clasping my face. "Why didn't you tell me about it?" Her eyes were glossy. "You let yourself go through all that al
“Get ready... we will leave by sunset!" Brutus' voice echoed throughout the hallway as Xhafer and Lucian strolled behind him. Xhafer paused at his pace. “Why is that happening now?” He knew fully well what Brutus was capable of doing. He knew his brother would stop at nothing till he gets everything he wants on earth. Brutus crossed his arms behind him. “You have no say in this. You should've been happy you are going back there.” he thundered as his eyes flared through the room. “Of course I am, but not with you, and it hasn’t been up to three weeks since I returned. What are you up to this time?” Xhafer asked bluntly, his eyes pinned on Brutus as he concentrated his attention on him. He still had no idea why Brutus hasn't asked if Valeria, or was is also part of his plan? If Brutus eventually finds out that he was the one who released Valeria, he was certain that his head was going to roll off the platform. Lucian pulled him back and took a step closer to him. “I think you shou
EMILIA I landed another slap on Giselle's cheeks and quickly wiped my hands on a piece of clothing. I had never been disgusted so much in my entire life. I hoped to get the truth out of her lips, but she stood by her word. I stared at her face, filled with my hand prints, her cheeks red, and her eyes puffed in tears. Giselle placed her palm on her scorching cheek and asked, "Why don't you believe me? I don't know where Daddy went." She spoke slowly, using the back of her palm to wipe off the tears cascading down her cheeks. I didn't believe her... I had never believed her. She was just a replica of her mother. She must have asked herself why I despised her so much... she must regret going through everything she went through in my hands. She must hate me so much that she thinks of plunging a knife into my chest. I don't even give a damn about what she thinks... she is in no way my blood, and I will treat her whatever way I choose to, and there's nothing she can do ab
Nickolas Three weeks ago "It won't sound right in the ears of other people," Magnus added as he tilted his head towards Ragnor as if waiting for support. Ragnor nodded his head. "Nickolas, you need to be at the ceremony." He saw no reason why he would ask them to plan for a ceremony and still not show up. It was part of the rules and traditions that an alpha must be present in any ceremony that was held in his castle. I strolled over to the table grabbed a glass of water, gulped it down, and rested my weight on the table. "You have to do as I have said." I tried to convince them. I had the power to make the rule, but without them, I might not succeed in this. They need to agree to make this a success. "You need to give us a proper clue as to what's going on." Ragnor adjusted his coat. To get this done, I needed them to work with me. I pulled out my briefcase, took out a document, stared at it for a while, and threw it on the table. I clenche
NICKOLAS "Isn't that Valeria?" Ruby tapped Eve as she pointed at Valeria while she made an entrance. Eve staggered backwards but was held by Ruby as she stopped her from falling. "How? I thought she lost her life in the fire?" she stammered. Miss Sophie had told them about what happened but asked them to keep it to themselves. Miss Sophie gasped, "Val?" and everyone else in the room's attention darted to Valeria, bewildered by her sight as they began to murmur. "Why is she making an entrance with Alpha Nickolas?" A lady supported her jaw with her palm as she kept watching. "How... is that possible?" Tears streamed down Miss Sophie's face upon seeing Valeria alive. I wondered how hard it was for her. I wondered how badly she had cursed herself because of the incident. Soon, people's attention was directed at her, and she quickly wiped away her tears. Emilia's eyes widened at the sight of Valeria walking in with me. She pushed her chair backwa
VALERIA My eyes widened as Giselle ran over to where I was sitting and hugged me tightly. "I missed you so much, mummy." I felt her tears as they dropped on my arm. "I thought something had happened to you." I cupped her face and looked into her eyes, so this was how it felt... To be open about that one thing that belongs to you. Just when I was here thinking about how to explain to her all that had happened in the past years, "I miss you so much, my baby, and I'm sorry for taking this long to get to you." I lowered my head and said, "Mama is so sorry about that." Giselle sniffled her nose as I wiped off her tears. I knew she had a lot to talk to me about. I made her sit on my lap and say, "You don't have to worry about anything anymore. I promise you that no one will hurt you again. As long as I am here, no one will dare cross your path again. But, for tonight...you need to look beautiful tonight, my baby, okay?" I asked, and she nodded her head. "I was scared
VALERIA I didn't let go of Giselle... I allowed her to rest her body on mine when Nickolas asked me to speak to the people. I had a lot to say, but I still didn't want to say anything to them. I had tried to explain to them, but they never believed me... they never cared to check out what I was talking about. In this life, I just have myself, my daughter, Miss Sophie, and Eve... they are not just my family. They are my everything. It was going to take a while for me to get used to Nickolas', but he was going to work before that was going to ever happen. He was the reason why this began in the first place. "I owe nobody an explanation, but I believe it's right. I make everyone understand at least what went wrong." I began. The noise reduced as they all kept their ears high, waiting to know what I had to say to them. I felt respected, and I loved it. "Many of you don't know about my background... because I'm known as the girl who works in the kitchen." I too
Camilla pushed some chairs out of her way as she rushed to Sam. Her eyes fell on Sam, sipping wine as he scrolled through his phone. Her ears flared up. "Sam, what's going on? Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you quiet, like we are not part of the family?" Camilla rested one hand on her waist and the other on her forehead. Sam didn't say a word; he didn't even look up at her. He remained engrossed in his phone with no atom of emotion written on his face. "You sat there while that stupid girl humiliated me and our daughter. You watched her slap me, and you did nothing about it." Camilla kept on ranting. That was all she could do. She couldn't fathom the fact that Sam remained quiet and wasn't saying anything. Or was he part of everything that had been going on? She had doubts about it but hoped it wouldn't be true. Sam adjusted his glass, turned off his phone, and placed it beside him on the couch. He looked up at Camilla and crossed his legs. "Camilla, y
Camilla pushed some chairs out of her way as she rushed to Sam. Her eyes fell on Sam, sipping wine as he scrolled through his phone. Her ears flared up. "Sam, what's going on? Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you quiet, like we are not part of the family?" Camilla rested one hand on her waist and the other on her forehead. Sam didn't say a word; he didn't even look up at her. He remained engrossed in his phone with no atom of emotion written on his face. "You sat there while that stupid girl humiliated me and our daughter. You watched her slap me, and you did nothing about it." Camilla kept on ranting. That was all she could do. She couldn't fathom the fact that Sam remained quiet and wasn't saying anything. Or was he part of everything that had been going on? She had doubts about it but hoped it wouldn't be true. Sam adjusted his glass, turned off his phone, and placed it beside him on the couch. He looked up at Camilla and crossed his legs. "Camilla, y
Camilla pushed some chairs out of her way as she rushed to Sam. Her eyes fell on Sam, sipping wine as he scrolled through his phone. Her ears flared up. "Sam, what's going on? Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you quiet, like we are not part of the family?" Camilla rested one hand on her waist and the other on her forehead. Sam didn't say a word; he didn't even look up at her. He remained engrossed in his phone with no atom of emotion written on his face. "You sat there while that stupid girl humiliated me and our daughter. You watched her slap me, and you did nothing about it." Camilla kept on ranting. That was all she could do. She couldn't fathom the fact that Sam remained quiet and wasn't saying anything. Or was he part of everything that had been going on? She had doubts about it but hoped it wouldn't be true. Sam adjusted his glass, turned off his phone, and placed it beside him on the couch. He looked up at Camilla and crossed his legs. "Camilla, y
Camilla pushed some chairs out of her way as she rushed to Sam. Her eyes fell on Sam, sipping wine as he scrolled through his phone. Her ears flared up. "Sam, what's going on? Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you quiet, like we are not part of the family?" Camilla rested one hand on her waist and the other on her forehead. Sam didn't say a word; he didn't even look up at her. He remained engrossed in his phone with no atom of emotion written on his face. "You sat there while that stupid girl humiliated me and our daughter. You watched her slap me, and you did nothing about it." Camilla kept on ranting. That was all she could do. She couldn't fathom the fact that Sam remained quiet and wasn't saying anything. Or was he part of everything that had been going on? She had doubts about it but hoped it wouldn't be true. Sam adjusted his glass, turned off his phone, and placed it beside him on the couch. He looked up at Camilla and crossed his legs. "Camilla, y
Camilla pushed some chairs out of her way as she rushed to Sam. Her eyes fell on Sam, sipping wine as he scrolled through his phone. Her ears flared up. "Sam, what's going on? Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you quiet, like we are not part of the family?" Camilla rested one hand on her waist and the other on her forehead. Sam didn't say a word; he didn't even look up at her. He remained engrossed in his phone with no atom of emotion written on his face. "You sat there while that stupid girl humiliated me and our daughter. You watched her slap me, and you did nothing about it." Camilla kept on ranting. That was all she could do. She couldn't fathom the fact that Sam remained quiet and wasn't saying anything. Or was he part of everything that had been going on? She had doubts about it but hoped it wouldn't be true. Sam adjusted his glass, turned off his phone, and placed it beside him on the couch. He looked up at Camilla and crossed his legs. "Camilla, y
Camilla pushed some chairs out of her way as she rushed to Sam. Her eyes fell on Sam, sipping wine as he scrolled through his phone. Her ears flared up. "Sam, what's going on? Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you quiet, like we are not part of the family?" Camilla rested one hand on her waist and the other on her forehead. Sam didn't say a word; he didn't even look up at her. He remained engrossed in his phone with no atom of emotion written on his face. "You sat there while that stupid girl humiliated me and our daughter. You watched her slap me, and you did nothing about it." Camilla kept on ranting. That was all she could do. She couldn't fathom the fact that Sam remained quiet and wasn't saying anything. Or was he part of everything that had been going on? She had doubts about it but hoped it wouldn't be true. Sam adjusted his glass, turned off his phone, and placed it beside him on the couch. He looked up at Camilla and crossed his legs. "Camilla, y
Camilla pushed some chairs out of her way as she rushed to Sam. Her eyes fell on Sam, sipping wine as he scrolled through his phone. Her ears flared up. "Sam, what's going on? Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you quiet, like we are not part of the family?" Camilla rested one hand on her waist and the other on her forehead. Sam didn't say a word; he didn't even look up at her. He remained engrossed in his phone with no atom of emotion written on his face. "You sat there while that stupid girl humiliated me and our daughter. You watched her slap me, and you did nothing about it." Camilla kept on ranting. That was all she could do. She couldn't fathom the fact that Sam remained quiet and wasn't saying anything. Or was he part of everything that had been going on? She had doubts about it but hoped it wouldn't be true. Sam adjusted his glass, turned off his phone, and placed it beside him on the couch. He looked up at Camilla and crossed his legs. "Camilla, y
Camilla pushed some chairs out of her way as she rushed to Sam. Her eyes fell on Sam, sipping wine as he scrolled through his phone. Her ears flared up. "Sam, what's going on? Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you quiet, like we are not part of the family?" Camilla rested one hand on her waist and the other on her forehead. Sam didn't say a word; he didn't even look up at her. He remained engrossed in his phone with no atom of emotion written on his face. "You sat there while that stupid girl humiliated me and our daughter. You watched her slap me, and you did nothing about it." Camilla kept on ranting. That was all she could do. She couldn't fathom the fact that Sam remained quiet and wasn't saying anything. Or was he part of everything that had been going on? She had doubts about it but hoped it wouldn't be true. Sam adjusted his glass, turned off his phone, and placed it beside him on the couch. He looked up at Camilla and crossed his legs. "Camilla, y
Camilla pushed some chairs out of her way as she rushed to Sam. Her eyes fell on Sam, sipping wine as he scrolled through his phone. Her ears flared up. "Sam, what's going on? Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you quiet, like we are not part of the family?" Camilla rested one hand on her waist and the other on her forehead. Sam didn't say a word; he didn't even look up at her. He remained engrossed in his phone with no atom of emotion written on his face. "You sat there while that stupid girl humiliated me and our daughter. You watched her slap me, and you did nothing about it." Camilla kept on ranting. That was all she could do. She couldn't fathom the fact that Sam remained quiet and wasn't saying anything. Or was he part of everything that had been going on? She had doubts about it but hoped it wouldn't be true. Sam adjusted his glass, turned off his phone, and placed it beside him on the couch. He looked up at Camilla and crossed his legs. "Camilla, y