CHAPTER TWO

VALENTINA’S POV

I knelt in front of my parents and elder brother’s graves with tears rolling down my eyes as I reminisced about how life was when they were still alive and we lived happily.

We were the Di Maria family living peacefully and minding our business.

My brother Taviano Di Maria would always take me to a river on the outskirts of our city telling me that we'd get to see a mermaid because he knew I loved mermaid tales.

My Dad was a businessman who was benevolent enough to show my uncle, his younger and only brother Santiago Di Maria his way of business and they both excelled together.

When I was 5 years old, we were all going on a holiday when armed men ambushed us on the same bridge my brother Taviano used to take me to, and the armed men began shooting at us.

My mum Rosalia Di Maria pushed me into the river to save me before they shot her.

Luckily a woman saved me and took me to my Uncle Santiago when she saw the news on TV that they were searching for me.

My uncle had been the one taking care of me since then.

When I had no tears left to cry as I remembered all these, I stood up and placed flowers at all their graves.

Then went to the bridge where it all happened.

This had been my routine on their remembrance day since I was 6 till now when I was 23.

I packed my car a safe distance away from the bridge and began to walk through a path that led down the bridge to the riverside.

I hadn't even reached the riverside yet when I suddenly began to hear the sound of gunshots.

At first, I thought the sound was my imagination due to the flashback I got whenever I came here.

But then when I reached the riverside, I saw a bullet hit the water, that was when I knew it was real.

I ran to hide and suddenly there was an explosion. That wasn't what caught my attention, what caught my attention was that I saw a man fall into the river and that part of the water turned red making me know he was hurt.

Being an excellent swimmer, I dived into the river wanting to save this man at all costs. When I found him I grabbed him and pulled him out.

I was taken aback by this man, striking features. His hair was dirty-blonde in color and packed in a low bun, tattoos filled his hands and neck, and he had a sharply pointed nose and well-chiseled face and jawline.

From all my assessments he looked like a gangster. I began to ponder if I should save him or not.

I ended up saving him because why not? I was a medical doctor and surgeon it was my job to save people's lives.

I took him to my lab at home and removed the bullets that were shot at him.

I doubted if he would survive because the bullets were shot too close to his heart and he had lost so much blood already but I still tried.

I bandaged his wound after I was done removing the bullets and left him, not knowing if I should contact the police or not but I followed my gut feeling and didn't.

***********

It had been five days now since I helped this strange man who was still unconscious. I transferred him from my lab to my guestroom.

I always injected his drugs into his IV fluid before I went to work and did the same whenever I came back from work.

I went to check on him but got carried away ogling him while I was checking his vitals, he suddenly opened his eyes, and oh my!! His eyes were Grey.

It took me a moment to compose myself before I ran to get water, judging from the fact he had been unconscious for five days his throat would be dry.

When I came back into the room he was trying to sit up. He wasn't supposed to stress himself now since he was just waking up. So I told him so.

All the while I was talking to him he didn't answer until I told him he'd been unconscious for five days and he choked on the water I was giving him.

I found everything about him fascinating, from why he fell, why he got shot, and why he suddenly choked on his water, but It was his privacy so I didn't want to ask or interfere.

He asked for my phone and called his friend, telling him to come to pick him up. I persuaded him to stay and finish his treatment but he was hell-bent on leaving so I gave him some painkillers and left feeling upset.

After I had saved him he couldn't even say a simple thank you, what an asshole he was.

A few minutes later, I heard someone continuously honking making me check through my window to see who it was.

When I did, I was surprised to see five latest models of Prado Jeep lined at the front of my house.

“I guess they are here to pick him up,“ I mumbled.

Seeing them made me realize that this man I saved, whom I didn't know his name and to be honest was no longer interested in knowing his name even though he knew mine already, was wealthy.

I went to my guest room and told him his friend was outside and he stood up even though I saw that he squinted his eyes due to the pain felt.

I kept quiet and decided to mind my business since I felt he was ungrateful.

I went to the door to wait for him and when he came out of my guestroom, our eyes locked. It took everything in me not to ask his name before he went but instead, I just opened the door for him and he went outside.

I nodded at him for courtesy’s sake and went into my house. Peeping through my window, I watched them leave.

All the guys who stepped down from the Prado jeep to greet the man I saved all had the same tattoo on their neck and they bowed to the man which looked spooky and weird to me.

I flinched in fear when my phone started ringing and heaved a sigh of relief when I saw that it was just my phone ringing and it was Uncle Santiago calling.

“Hello uncle, how are you doing?“ I asked sweetly so that he wouldn't notice I was scared.

Because if there was anything Uncle Santiago was good at, it was being observant.

“Come to my house now!'' That was the only thing he said and ended the call afterward.

I became worried and rushed out of my house, getting into my car and driving to check on Uncle Santiago hoping nothing was wrong with him, he was the only family I had left.

******************

Getting to Uncle Santiago's house, I rushed in only to find my uncle sitting in a wheelchair in his garden waiting for me. Yeah, his legs had been paralyzed years ago.

“What's wrong uncle?“ I asked with concern and saw the biggest smile on his face as he raised his head.

I began to wonder what was going on but his next words shocked me to my very core.

“Get ready Valentina, you're getting married,“ He continued smiling. I just looked at him dumbfounded, not understanding where what he said was coming from.

“I don't understand uncle, you're joking, right?“ I asked and laughed nervously but his face told me he was serious.

“Look, before your parents died, they promised the Dicaprio family that you'd get married to their son Diego and the young man is back in the country rich and powerful, so don't be afraid because you won't have to suffer at all,“ Uncle Santiago said still with a big smile on his face.

“Uncle I respect you a lot but I can't get married to someone I don't know on such short notice. You told me you wanted me to study medicine because it was my parent's wish that I did so. I respected you and studied it but this one uncle I'm sorry I can't“ I said to him.

“Listen, Val, he has arranged for us to have dinner together at the most expensive restaurant that is in the city and you won't embarrass me you hear me? You would dress beautifully and see the young man first before you judge him. That's what a reasonable woman would do,“ Uncle Santiago said, raising his voice at me.

I decided to do as he had said for now and look for another way to stop me from marrying this Diego guy or whatever his name was called, just by the name, I already disliked the guy.

“Alright uncle what time would be the dinner and where is the location,“ I asked my uncle after I tried to put on a fake smile and hoped it looked convincing.

“Don't worry I'll text it to you later, it's 2 pm now, so take from now till evening to plan and shop for the dress that you'll wear,“ He replied with a big smile appearing on his face again.

“Alright uncle, are your legs aching today? Do you want me to massage them for you a little,“ I asked him but he shook his head.

“No Val, I feel fine today just go and get ready,“ he urged me to go.

The way he was behaving right now confirmed to me that there was more to this marriage than he was telling me.

I left his house, drove to my house, and entered my bedroom to take a nap since I took a leave from work yesterday because I was feeling drained and partly because of that strange man I saved.

***************

I woke up from my nap only to find out that it was 6 pm already and damn It had been a long time since I slept well and comfortably like this without any bad dreams.

I took my phone and saw series of texts from Uncle Santiago. I rolled my eyes as I checked the time and location, after which I got up to prepare because the dinner was slated for 7 pm.

One hour later, I got into my car dressed in a red strapless evening gown with its slit reaching my mid-thigh and my hair packed in a messy bun not wanting to look overdressed.

Reaching the restaurant I went in and saw my uncle and my supposed fiancé, Diego. He was handsome but not compared to the stranger I saved.

Shit, why was his still thought crossing my mind?

“Good evening gentlemen, sorry I'm late, “ I said curtly as I sat down facing Diego and Uncle Santiago.

“Women are always late, we understand and I must say that you look ravishing and stunning Valentina,“ Diego said and suddenly I felt the strong urge to pee.

“Excuse me please, I need to use the convenience,” I said to Uncle Santiago and Diego.

I made my way to the toilet but when I wanted to open the door and go in, a handkerchief was placed on my nose and everything went pitch black after I inhaled the contents of the handkerchief.