Valentina
"You look beautiful." The red-haired woman in front of me gushed. "Ravishing, really." Luciana Blythe, a woman known more for her connections than her charm, smiled at me as though I was the most important person in the hall. The thirty years old seductress was the latest wife to the sixty years old Chris Blythe, a man infamous in certain circles. He never attended these kinds of events himself. Rather, he sent whoever was newly married to him to handle whatever unpleasantness waited for him. Sometimes, the wives were able to leave. Sometimes, they weren't. I forced a smile, matching her enthusiasm. "Thank you, ma'am." I added a small, practised giggle. "But you're too kind. You look like an angel yourself." If Caterina was here, she'd have given me a thumbs up for the performance. It didn't take her a minute to find someone more important than me in the grand scheme of things, and she shuttled away. I let out a sigh of relief. "And some say you wouldn't be able to do this." A low voice said behind me, sending a shiver down my spine. Maverick stood behind me, his expression unreadable. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes, but I knew better than to trust it. He was observing, calculating. I bit back the urge to offer him a quirky smile, instead I kept my expression neutral. "I didn't figure you as someone who would monitor my progress. What's next? Questions about your family tree? Or will you be shoving me towards every available client?" That seemed to coax a smile from him. "Don't hold your breath. I watched your sister talk about her favourite movies while growing up. I'd say I find this more entertaining." His words should have stung, but there was something almost comforting about the way he said it. It was the first time he acknowledged her in a good light. I laughed softly. "That explains it. She talked about her shows a lot, but I'm more of a book girl myself." This was what I was born to do. Maverick opened his mouth to say something but stopped when his eyes caught someone. "Buttering up to minor assassins like Chris Blythe is appreciated, but he is no concern for Luca." Maverick added, his tone shifting slightly as he leaned in closer. There it was, the real reason we came. We weren't here to show me off. I had a purpose to serve, and Maverick wasn't about to let me forget that. "Then who should I focus on?" I asked, lowering my tone to match his. I pretended to pick at a piece of stray hair on his cloth, bringing us even closer so it would look like a perfectly normal conversation. Maverick's eyes scanned the room for a second more, assessing the crowd. He nodded subtly toward a group of older man and one woman gathered near the back of the room. They were engaged in what appeared to be a casual conversation. But they had an air around them that made others stay away. It told me everything I needed to know. These men were dangerous, powerful, and likely controlled more than I would ever know. "Do you see the man in the middle? Holding the lady's waist?" Maverick asked quietly. Well, yes I did. It was kind of hard not to see them when they moved around so much. He was a tall, silver haired man who wore a suit like a fish wore his scales. The woman by his side. Damn, she was a beaut. Dressed in a green silk dress the colour of her eyes, she looked like she came from money. "That's Giovanni Moretti." Maverick continued. "He's been around for a long time, longer than my father. His influence in all the old families runs deep, so if you can get him on your side, you're set for life." I frowned slightly, trying to understand why Maverick would want me to approach a man like Giovanni. "And why would he talk to me?" "Because he met Isabella before she ran away. He's curious about why I chose you, and he wants to assess you himself to see if you're strong enough to hold your own in a dog eats dog world." The weight of his words settled over me, and I felt my stomach grunting. This wasn't about making small talk. I had to prove myself, showing them I was more than just a replacement for Isabella. I had to convince Giovanni that I was worth his time, or at the very least convince him to help me on my quest to find my sister. "And what if I fail?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Be ready to find a third sister for me." Panic clawed at my throat at that statement. "You won't. Just be yourself, and remember who you're dealing with." Maverick's expression softened for a second. "He respects honesty. Show him you're strong, that you're not easily intimidated." I nodded, trying to calm down my rapidly beating heart. I faced difficult situations before, but somehow this felt different. One move, and I would shut so many doors. Maverick moved that stray piece of hair from my face again, his barely there touch sent warmth down my spine. "You can do this, Valentina. Just stay calm, and don't let him see any weakness." I took a deep breath. "Okay." His hand lingered on my face for just a moment longer before he let go, stepping back to give me space. "I'm by your side if you need anything." In a world like this, it was tradition for a party like this to be held every time a top family got a new wife. Like a prized auction, she would be presented to make sure she was suitable enough to take care of the kids that would one day run the mafia world. ".....wasn't she supposed to be a brunette?" "....I heard she slept with every one of his body guards...." ".....folks said she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. I think he's blind..." With each step I took, more whispers flew into my ears. They were a toxic bunch. The men's conversation quieted as I approached, their gazes held silent judgement. Giovanni’s piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, it felt like the entire room had fallen asleep. Hushed. His partner, on the other hand, gave me the brightest smile. "Good evening, Mr Moretti." I said, keeping my voice steady despite the rapid beating of my heart. "I'm Valentina." Straight to the point. Simple. "Valentina." Giovanni repeated, his voice hoarse. He took a moment to study me, his sly gaze sweeping over me with a scrutiny that made me feel tiny. "I've heard much about you." His partner took that moment to step forward. She took my hand in hers. "I knew Isabella." She said simply. I forced a smile. "My sister was....is an incredible woman, no doubt. I just hope I can find her before anything happens to her." There. I planted the seeds. Now, I must water them so they would grow. Giovanni raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by my response. "And why would you think so? She wanted nothing to do with Maverick, and she got her wish. She ran away." "My sister would never run away from her responsibilities." Giovanni studied me for a minute, his expression giving nothing away. The silence stretched between us, and I could feel the eyes of the crowd on me. All waiting. Finally, he nodded slowly. His lips widened to show a small, approving smile. "Loyalty to a loved one is admirable. Even when what she did led to your current predicament." His silent words were loud and clear. He would always believe Isabella ran away. But at least he approved of me. I would chip those ice cubes off his shoulders with time. "Thank you, Mr Moretti." I said offering him.a polite smile. "I look forward to showing you, and everyone else that my sister was not kidnapped." Now I was being stupid, but no one stopped me. Giovanni just nodded, and went back to his friends. His ever smiling wife gave me a little wave before I dismissed myself, and made my way back to Maverick. Who was nowhere to be found. Even if he had gone to the bathroom, he should have been here by now. It'd been too long. Something must have happened. I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the dirty looks being sent my way as I searched for those dark curls. Nothing. He couldn't be hurt. He was the goddamn mafia. Children would be told stories about him for years to come. My jaw ticked when I saw him stepped out from a door. And by his side, was a woman with hair the colour of night sky.Valentina"Is she the one?" Surprise crossed his face when he saw me."Hey! Did you wow him...." His sentence was cut off when I closed the distance and wrapped my hand around his arm. I had learned to read subtle cues in his body language, and tonight, he was on high alert.I didn't need him for anything else than to provide a front for which I would find my sister. He had no right to cheat on me so easily."Valentina, meet Sophia," Maverick said, his voice taking a softer tone that I rarely heard. "My half sister."She looked nothing like him. Her raven black hair cascaded down her back in loose waves, framing a pale face with sharp, striking features. Sophia’s eyes met mine, and for a split second, I saw something flicker in them. Recognition, maybe. But it was gone as quickly as it came."It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Valentina," Sophia said, her voice smooth as velvet. "Maverick has told me so much about you. And so did your sister."I kept my features plain to hide the
Valentina"This life," Caterina started, her voice clipped with precision. "is not for the faint of heart. As the wife of Matteo Nevarro, your every move will be watched, scrutinized. You must be strong and calculating."I sat in the grand, dimly lit library, my back straight, my hands folded neatly in my lap. Caterina sat across from me, speaking in a measured tone.She knew what happened yesternight, and she didn't approve of any.She didn't approve of my discussion with Luciana.I nodded. "What if I don't want to be cold and calculating?" I asked, my mind not even close to present.Caterina had been relentless, arriving at the stroke of dawn, then proceeding to cover everything from the proper way to address certain men to the subtleties of surviving this harsh world I found myself in.Where were those lessons when I needed to talk to Sophia, Matteo's sister."Then you should consider the next possible option. Divorce."The silence between us stretched, the only sound in the room
“Teach me then. Teach me how to defend myself.”There was nothing hotter than my grey eyed wife, standing before me while asking for things like she had nothing to lose.I couldn't help but chuckle.I had spent the night staring at the little Instagram post she made yesternight from our ride to the party.My hand on her bare thigh, the black gown complementing my black suit.Some photos were meant for aesthetic purposes. I knew the reason what that one meant.But just one word kept replaying in my mind.Mine.I let out a low chuckle. "You think you can just demand for something, and I would simply hand it to you on a silver platter?" A part of me admired her boldness, her refusal to cower for her mother, and in the face of the storm that was our marriage.But another part of me knew better.Her jaw tightened, and she took a step closer. "I'm not asking you to hand me anything, Matteo. I'm asking you to teach me how to protect myself," She said. "Everyone talks about how being the wif
Valentina"Let me go then. I'm never going to be Isabella."My eyes narrowed. My breaths had finally evened out, and I could feel the hot flush in my cheeks."Let me go. End this misery for both of us."He allowed a soft laugh to slip free.My anger came and went like flashes of lightning. One minute, it was there, and the next, I was just tired of it all.He didn't break his gaze as he stepped closer. "Then I wouldn't find you at home waiting for me in my room."The way he looked at me was something I had always wished to have. A look of longing, desire."I thought you didn't want that." I whispered, my body practically electrified from nerves.He rolled his eyes. "Don't assume what I want, Mrs Nevarro." He replied, his voice placid. Disinterested.Just one touch. One touch from him, and the room would ignite."Noted." I curled my fingers around the hem of my shorts as tightly as I could to stop the embarrassment flushing through me.It had taken a lot from me to walk to his wing and
“Where would I even go?” The rain poured down relentlessly, drenching me as I stepped outside the estate gates, but I didn’t care.I was getting away from Matteo, from his estate, from Caterina and all her rules.Each drop of the rain pelted my skin like tiny needles, a reminder that the world would never be fair to me, no matter what.“At this point, I can hardly think.” I muttered to myself as I stepped onto the gravel path, the darkness pressing in around me.I walked faster, driven by a need to escape the weight of it all. “Don't let me find you in my wing without being called again, or you’ll discover there are limits to my kindness.” Matteo’s cold words echoed in my mind, his commanding presence looming over everything like a storm swirling above me.I knew this path was unfamiliar, and I didn’t care. I just needed to be far from him as best as I could. The further I went, the more the estate disappeared behind the trees, and soon I realized I had where I was anymore.But I di
Valentina."Planning a party isn't the hardest thing in the world," Caterina's voice was the only sound I could hear in this library. It was steady, almost clinical, as she rattled off the list of responsibilities that now fell on my shoulders. "I'm pretty sure you watched your mom do it."It had been two weeks. Two weeks since I almost left the estate for good.Two weeks since I saw someone who had something to say about my sister.Two weeks since Matteo came after me in the pouring rain, stopping me from walking away. Two weeks since that kiss.I still couldn't stop thinking about it. How his lips had been soft yet commanding, claiming me with a force that left me breathless.It was the first real sign of emotion he'd shown toward me since I had been dragged into his world. His cold, dominating exterior had cracked for just a moment, and I had seen something raw underneath. Desire, yes - but something more.Something darker. Unresolved."....and the guest list will have to be finali
Valentina"Valentina, I said I'm alright." Matteo groaned for the umpteenth time that morning.The hours after finding Matteo bruised and bloodied passed in a blur. Despite his insistence that it was "nothing," his wounds told me a different story.I'd stayed up all night watching over him, tending to his injuries as best as I could, all while he stubbornly refused to explain how he ended up in this state.Was this what I had to contend with with too? As the first light of dawn filtered through the heavy curtains of my bedroom, l lay awake beside him, my mind racing.His apology - if one can even call it that - still echoed in my ears. It was the first time he had shown me any real vulnerability, and I didn't know what to make of it.Matteo Nevarro, the ruthless mafia Don who had an entire empire under his fingers, was sorry. Sorry for what?For getting married to me despite the fact that he was in love with my sister? For keeping me at arm's length? For not helping me find my sister
"I don't know what I enjoy more, your cute little lips, or how much you love kissing me."Matteo’s nose brushed against mine, and I whimpered involuntarily, my entire body flooded with desire. "Do you know how much and how long I had wanted to do this?""How long?" I found myself asking, moving just a touch closer. My body buzzed with equal part adrenaline and desire.He tightened his grip on my hair and groaned as he kissed me, rapidly taking control. His movements were both slow and determined as he deepened the kiss and pulled me on top of him, letting me feel just how hard he was.The thought of him wanting me that desperately only fueled my own desire, and I couldn't help but moan as he moved his tongue against mine just right.I gasped when a jolt of desire rushed through me, one hand wrapping in his hair as the other began to roam over his chest and abs, my inhibitions faded away.My breath hitched when his hands moved underneath my t-shirt, his thumb brushing over my panties.