Chapter 4

Valerie’s POV

The moment I opened my eyes, I forcefully kept them shut. It was as if the lights were trying to friggin blind me. I slowly tried again and it hurt even more.

“Shit.”

I rested a bit and then tried. It hurts less now. I noticed that the walls were painted a soft cream, and the bed I lay in was covered with a white blanket. The bed was also very soft and it looked like all those master bedrooms one saw on TV.

Confusion washed over me. Where was I? Had I been kidnapped? Panic bubbled in my chest, and I quickly pushed myself up, looking around.

“I have to fucking get out of here before I get kill–”

“Miss Valerie, please wait!” a voice called out as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Giovanni , Lorenzo’s right-hand man, who has helped drag out that perv from the club last night stepped into the room.

“Hold on, what are you doing here?” I asked, my voice shaky as I tried to control myself. If he was here, that would mean that Lorenzo was here as well and he could help. “Where’s Lorenzo? Why am I here?”

“Relax. You’re safe,” he said, stepping closer. “Lorenzo brought you here after your incident with your father. You’ve been out for two weeks.”

Excuse me?! It was just last night that I remember quite clearly when I ran into a crazy dude and my father spiraled into one of his moods. This had to be a joke.

“Two weeks?” I repeated, trying to process this information.

“Yes ma'am.”

“What the fuck do you mean? Hold on… Did he bring me here? Did he kidnap me?”

The guard sighed as Giovanni  walked in. “No, he didn’t kidnap you. He saved you. After the fight, you were in bad shape, and he had to do something.”

“What do you mean in a bad shape? I am perfectly fine.”

“Your father was going to hit you with a huge item. There was no way anyone was going to watch and let him do that twisted shit.”

I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me as I thought about how weak I had been. “I can’t believe he saw me like that,” I murmured, burying my face in my hands. “I was such a mess.” The tears poured involuntarily and it took all I had not to curse at father for putting me in this fucking awkward situation.

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” the guard said gently as if he was trying to look down on me.

“Don't pity me! How dare you.” I snapped but he didn't stop patting my back. As if he knew that I was going to feel bad for snapping which I knew I was going to.

“You were going through a lot. Boss cares about you enough to have had you followed.”

“Yea right.” I snorted as I tried to dry my eyes. This guy sure as hell was sarcastic.

“Cares about me?” I scoffed. “How can you say that? I don’t even know what he wants from me!”

The dude  looked at me carefully. “You’ll have to talk to him about that. But for now, just stay here and rest. You’ll feel better soon.”

***

A few nights passed. I still hadn’t seen Lorenzo, and the silence was driving me mad. I was not allowed to leave the house, and all I did was eat and sleep. I felt trapped.

“Giovanni, do you know when I can see him?” I asked one evening, frustration creeping into my voice.

“I can ask,” he replied, but I could see he was hesitant. “But I don’t think it will be long. He’s just... dealing with things.”

“Dealing with things?” I echoed, rolling my eyes. “What things? He cannot keep me locked away like this!”

“Valerie, you need to understand—he’s trying to protect you,” Giovanni  said, his tone firm.

“Protect me from what?” I asked. “From living my own life? This is fucking kidnapping for fuck sake!”

“Just trust him a little. It’s not easy for him either,” he replied, turning to leave.

That night, I sat on the edge of the bed, feeling restless. I wanted answers. I needed to confront Lorenzo. Just as I was about to give up, the door opened, and in walked Lorenzo himself.

“Finally!” I exclaimed, jumping to my feet. “What is going on? Why am I stuck here?”

He looked tired, but there was anger in his eyes. “I’ve been keeping you safe, Valerie. After what happened with your father, I had to make sure you didn’t leave.”

“Safe? Is this what you call safe?” I fired back. “I feel like I’m a prisoner! I just want to go home!”

“You’re not thinking straight,” he replied, frustration creeping into his voice. “I want to take you to the hospital now.”

“The hospital?” I was taken aback. “Why?”

“Because we need to check on your health,” he said, his voice firm. “You didn’t eat or sleep properly, and I can’t think about anything else until you’re taken care of.”

“Lorenzo, I—” I started, but he cut me off.

“Just listen to me for once! This is the only way,” he said, grabbing my arm gently but firmly, guiding me toward the door.

As we walked, I felt rage building in me. “I can’t believe you would just drag me around after everything that’s happened!”

“Valerie, please,” he said, looking frustrated. “This is necessary.”

Once we arrived at the hospital, I felt my anxiety rise again. “What are we even doing here?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“Like I said, just trust me,” he replied, leading me into a room. “I can’t think about having sex with you until we check you out medically first.”

My heart stopped at his words. “What do you mean by that? Is that what this is about?”

“What do you think?” he shot back. “You’re in your ovulation period. This is the best time for the procedure.”

“What procedure?” I asked, feeling anger bubbling inside me. “What are you planning? How the fuck did you know I'm ovulating?”

“I’m going to get a doctor to help,” he said, refusing to meet my gaze. “You can’t get pregnant if we don’t do this.”

My anxiety morphed into rage. “You are heartless!” I shouted. “You think I’m just some tool for you to use to get a child? You don’t care about me! And how do you have information that only I'm supposed to know. Are you a stalker you bastard!”

“Stop that!” he snapped, frustration flooding his tone. “I’m doing this for both of us! You need to think about your future!”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “My future? Or yours?”

“It’s complicated!” he yelled, running a hand through his hair in agitation.

“Complicated? You have no idea what’s complicated!” I countered, my voice rising. “You’re just treating me like a business deal.”

“Valerie, you need to calm down,” he said, exasperated.

“I will not calm down! You think you can just make decisions for me and then—”

Before I could finish my sentence, a doctor entered the room. “Hello, I’m here to help.” He introduced himself and looked between us.

“Let’s get this started,” Lorenzo said, his voice sharp.

“Wait, I’m not ready for this!” I cried, backing away. “This isn’t happening.”

“Valerie, we have to do this now,” Lorenzo insisted, stepping closer, but I pulled away even more.

As they began to explain everything, I felt trapped and overwhelmed. My heart pounded in my chest. “No!” I yelled suddenly, turning to Lorenzo. “You can’t force me into this!”

“Just trust me. I’m always looking out for you,” Lorenzo said, his voice softer now.

But all I felt was anger and betrayal. “You know what? I can’t do this!” I shouted again, feeling tears welling in my eyes.

“Think about it!” he urged one last time, but the words went in through one ear and came out of the other.

I shook my head, stepping back. “I’m done here. This isn’t what I want!”

“Unfortunately, you don't have a choice.”Lorenzo said as some nurses entered the room and held me down.

“Let me go! Lorenzo!” I screamed but he walked out of the room and not once, did he turn back.