Alexander. What was I doing here? No matter how many times I asked myself that question, I couldn’t come up with an answer. I had retreated to my room, determined to block out that insufferable nuisance and force myself to rest. Yet, somehow, my body had betrayed me. Before I even realized it, I had wandered here, my steps carrying me down the hall without reason or logic. And when I finally became aware of where I was, I didn’t stop. I just kept walking. Now, I stood at the entrance of the kitchen, staring at what could only be described as the most ridiculous scene of my life. “Well, good for you! I guess you moved on really easily. You found a new girl, and it only took a couple of weeks! Remember when you said that you wanted to give me the world?” Valentina stood on the stool, eyes closed and chopsticks clutched tightly in her hand as she sang the lyrics at the top of her lungs, one hand dramatically pressed against her chest as though she were performing on a grand stage
Valentina pov I closed my eyes and squeezed my face as the maids carefully applied makeup, their hands swift and practiced. "Madam, please relax and refrain from furrowing your brows," Martha said, her voice stern, and I could practically feel the weight of her gaze drilling into me. I sighed in frustration, my body already stiff and sore from all the sitting around. How long does it take to apply makeup? It had already been two hours when Martha and a number of maids barged into the room, forced me into the shower, dressed me in a form-fitting gown, and now this. When I asked why she was dressing me as though I were attending a royal ball, she replied calmly, “Madam, it is for an upcoming event you will be attending with Master this evening.” Her tone was firm but professional as she added, “You must look your best, as today will mark the first time you present yourself to the world after your accident.” I was shocked when she said that— because honestly, how could she wak
Valentina pov “Well… Emily was a kind-hearted person, but she often had trouble with anyone who wasn’t Alexander or Felix. She especially clashed with the female maids and jealousy often got the better of her when any of them came near Alexander. You could say she was possessive, but she was also a devoted wife and mother to both Alexander and Felix.” I frowned, replaying their words in my mind. There was something odd about how they spoke about me. It felt like they were speaking about another person entirely because… why wouldn’t they just call me Emily? It felt unsettling, like something wasn’t quite right. Weird. Really weird. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, before tilting the glass back and drowning the champagne in one swift motion. The burning taste sliding down my throat. “Hey, wait, you’re drinking too much,” Daniel’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I looked up to find both him and Sebastian watching me with concerned, almost guilty expressions. I bl
Valentina pov I was about to puke. I must have had a little too much because as I walked—no, wobbled—toward the restroom, the walls seemed to close in. I covered my mouth, struggling to stay on my feet and not collapse in a heap, but with every passing second, it got harder to hold it in. I could feel the judgmental stares from everyone around me as I hurried along, but I couldn’t care less. God, I really should’ve stopped after three glasses. But could you blame me? Twenty minutes had passed, and neither Sebastian nor Daniel had returned. Sitting there alone with nothing to do had been so painfully boring that another drink—or five—felt like the only way to pass the time. “P-please…” I gagged, clamping a hand over my mouth as I stopped a server along the way. “Apologies, madam, but I’m not carrying champagne right now. However, I can—” “Not that… the restroom, where is it?” I interrupted, my voice strained. “Ooh, it’s this way, to the right,” the server replied. As soon as t
The first thing I did was run. I couldn’t face the humiliation, so I bolted without a second glance, probably leaving both the man and woman stunned but I didn't care, I had to save the little dignity I had left.What had I just done? The second Sebastian and Daniel left me alone, I caused trouble. Great. I was so dumb—I wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. As I sprinted away, too busy contemplating my life choices to watch where I was going, I abruptly collided with someone, the impact causing something warm to spill all over me.“What the fuck?! Are you blind?” a shrill female voice snapped, and I gasped, realizing I had accidentally spilled the person’s drink.“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, it was a…” I began to apologize, but the moment I looked up and saw the person, I froze, unable to get a word out.My body tensed, and a shiver ran down my spine as I took in the sight of the woman in front of me. Before I knew it, I instinctively took a step back
Alexander pov “I’m sorry for what he did to you, you shouldn't have lost Emily that day. I tried saving her, but it was too late; he had gotten to her before I could stop the accident…” Her words replayed in my mind as I tapped my fingers continuously on the seat, my eyes narrowing. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't understand what she meant by that. Emily… Had she known her before she lost her memories? The way she had spoken left so many questions unanswered. I groaned in frustration and stopped the rhythmic drumming of my fingers. Almost immediately, the car came to a sudden halt, pulling me out of my thoughts. I narrowed my eyes, looking straight ahead to see that the car in front had stopped abruptly, blocking the road. “What’s going on?” I asked, straightening in my seat with a frown. “Apologies, boss. Looks like the car ahead of us had an accident. I’ll take another route,” Adrian replied, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror, waiting for my approval. I
Valentina pov “Alexander, we've met earlier” a deep, commanding voice cut through the tension, and I instinctively looked up to meet the imposing figure now standing beside me. His sharp features were as cold as his tone. “Emily’s husband,” he continued, his piercing gaze fixed on Damien. “And I don’t appreciate another man trying to touch my wife.” Everyone froze and I blinked trying to process what had just happened. Alexander stood there before me dressed in an expensive suits, his tall frame towering over everyone present including Damien. I could feel everyone's eyes on him and the chattering around us instantly quiet down as they all looked at Alexander, his presence alone dominated the place like no one else did. “Ah, yes. Apologies Mr Alexander, forgive me for the mistake” Damien swallowed nervously before forcing a tight smile yet Alexander didn't release his hand, his expression cold, piercing straight into Damien. I stood there, unable to tear my gaze from Alex
“No… I’m fine. Just save him. Save Felix first. You have to get him out. I don’t care if I die, but he has to live. Felix has to live, so…”“So please save my son.”I gasped, jolting awake, my hand instinctively flying to my throat as I struggled to breathe. No matter how hard I tried, it felt like my breath was trapped. Sweat trickled down my forehead, and my trembling fingers reached to clutch my chest.“Breathe, Valentina, breathe,” I whispered under my breath, trying to calm the panic surging through me, but I froze the moment I uttered that name.Valentina? That name…Before I could dwell on it, a sudden wave of nausea overwhelmed me. My hand flew to my mouth as I gagged, and without a second thought, I rushed toward the bathroom.I barged in, heading straight for the sink. I didn’t even make it to the toilet before I leaned over, letting it all out in one agonizing rush.I gagged and closed my eyes as a throbbing pain overwhelmed my senses, nearly blurring my vision. I hissed an
Valentina pov A tear slipped down my cheek just as Alexander's hand cradled the back of my head and he kissed me. His lips were rough and intense against mine, stealing a whimper from me and granting him access to my mouth. I closed my eyes and kissed him back, my body responding on its own, as though it didn’t belong to me. But why was I crying? Why did this ache in my chest feel so suffocating? It left me breathless. And the nightmare— why was it blurry and most of all, why did it feel more like a distant memory than a dream? A gasp escaped me as Alexander’s other hand slid to my waist, gently pushing me down onto the bed. His lips moved in perfect sync with mine, a low groan rumbling from his throat as he climbed over me, one hand cupping my chin to tilt my head up as we kissed. It hurt. A shiver coursed through my spine when Alaric leaned away from my lips, his mouth trailing down to my neck, pressing hot kisses along my skin until he reached my collarbone. He placed a k
Alexander pov She hadn’t woken up since yesterday, and it had affected me more than I cared to admit. I wasn’t even sure what emotion was clawing at me, was it the frustration over what she had done, throwing herself in front of my mother just as I pulled the trigger? Or was it the worry that came from watching her lie there, pale and still, showing no sign of waking up? “The bullet went through her shoulder. She lost quite a bit of blood, but she should be able to wake up soon,” Daniel said, his expression tired as he removed his glasses, his eyes meeting mine. “So don’t worry and get some rest, Alexander. You haven’t slept since yesterday.” I didn’t say anything for a brief moment, my gaze fixed on Valentina as I leaned back against the wall, hands tucked into my pockets, my expression unreadable. “Where is the kid?” I asked eventually. Daniel sighed for the second time before answering. “He wouldn’t stop crying and kept asking to be with Valentina, so I gave him something m
Valentina pov Two years ago. “Madam, madam,” My eyes slowly fluttered open and I groaned, lifting my head to find Agatha standing in front of me with a sad look and a slight frown etched into her expression. “Agatha…” I murmured, reaching up to rub my tired eyes before glancing around. I was in the dining area, and in front of me sat the food I had cooked with Agatha’s help. Today was Damien’s and my anniversary. It was supposed to be a special day. I had made all of his favorite dishes, hoping to make him happy and maybe spend a little time with him, especially since he’d been so busy these past few months with work that I barely have the time to spend time with him. “Has he arrived?” I asked, a hopeful smile tugging at my lips. When Agatha shook her head, the smile slowly faded from my face. My gaze shifted to the clock, it was already 10 p.m. Two whole hours had passed since we finished cooking, and Damien still hadn’t shown up. My eyes drifted to the food on the table, an
Alexander pov "And it looks like I didn’t finish the job, Mother,” I said coldly, cocking the gun against her forehead. Her body went rigid, eyes wide with fear as she stared at me. “A-Alexander,” she stammered, stumbling back as if distance could save her. But it was futile. There’s something both of us had forgotten to mention about our twisted relationship. I was never afraid of my mother. She was afraid of me. Despite all her efforts, every calculated move, every twisted game meant to make me cower, I never did. She tried to make me believe my life was in her hands. But the truth? I was far too broken to fear a woman who was all bark and no bite. How should I put it? She was a prey pretending to be a predator. A mouse wearing the mask of a cat. A weak woman hiding behind an illusion she had created. People like that always acted unshakable, like the world couldn’t touch them. But deep down, they were the most fragile. The most helpless. “You said I shot you twice,” I
Valentina pov When did I react? When did I start yanking my mother in law's hair? Well maybe it was the part when she had called Alexander a monster. When she had told me everything she had done to him to ensure his obedience or according to her: To make sure he was the perfect tool to use for her plan. She had said that Alexander was incapable of love and that was why I had hated him so much I couldn’t even bear the sight of him. That Alexander wasn’t meant to be loved, only feared. That he would eventually end up alone, never knowing what it meant to be loved. Maybe that was why I was currently yanking her hair back and forth, clearly catching her off guard. “Let go of my hair! How dare you?! Do you know who I am?!” she screamed, trying to pry my hands away. But I only gripped tighter, pulling harder as she grabbed a fistful of my own hair in retaliation. Pain shot through my scalp, but I wouldn’t let go. “Who gives a damn who you are?!” I snapped. “Take back what you said a
Alexander pov Bang! Bang! Bang! Gunshots. Screams. And then... the soft thud of bodies hitting the ground. Those were the three things I grew up with. The three things I was used to and, oddly enough, the three things that made adrenaline course through my veins. Blood. The sickening sound of knives slicing into flesh. The tears, the terror of someone standing at death's door. These were the things that made me feel alive. It was what shaped me. There's a popular saying: "Monsters aren't born, they're made." But me? I was born and made this way. I still remembered when my therapist first diagnosed me with psychopathic tendencies. He had said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Knight, but your son shows signs of early stage psychopathy. While it's still developing, he doesn't process emotions the way most people do. I understand that people in your line of work don't flinch at killing, but this is a seven-year-old child. You said he cried when you told him to shoot his dog but didn't hes
Warning: Mention of abuse. Valentina pov “So, you’re telling me you don’t remember anything at all?” Sera asked as we sat in her study. After she had questioned who I was and insisted I wasn’t her daughter-in-law, we had moved to her office. Despite my reluctance to leave Felix alone outside, I knew I had to explain everything. Now, sitting across from her, I told her how I had been in a coma for about a month and had lost all my memories. That, at least, might explain why I didn’t recognize her. I nodded my head, a smile tugging at my lips. "I don't remember anything from my past. All I know is that I'm Alexander's wife and Felix's mother." I said, giggling softly as the thought crossed my mind. To be honest, by now, I'd already accepted my role as a wife and mother, and it no longer felt awkward, though it never really had. At first, I had been a little scared because it felt like I was thrust into a life that was unfamiliar. But now… My grin widened as I remembere
Third pov Flashback. "Kill it," the woman dressed in pink ordered, her voice so cold that it instinctively made the boy, Alexander, flinch. Alexander shook his head, tears streaming down his face as he cried harder, begging his mother not to make him do it. He couldn’t understand why she would ask him to kill his dog, his only friend, the only one who had always been there for him. You see, Alexander Knight had always been seen as a cold-hearted, evil child, even when he was young. He had inherited the cold demeanor of his father, Ezra Knight, and was feared by many for the same reasons. Both father and son were calm, collected, and rarely showed any emotion. That was the reason everyone avoided him. Even his twin, Daniel Knight, had always been scared of him. Maybe that was why Alexander had always bullied his much more outgoing twin, the one everyone loved. Perhaps it was his twisted way of seeking attention. But his brother, Daniel, was so terrified of him, he never played w
Alexander pov“I can't believe my old man paid you to keep me from returning to Italy! No wonder he asked me to pack all my clothes. ‘A vacation to the US,’ he said. ‘You should spend some time with your uncle and learn a few things, then you can come back home,’ he said and I believed him without knowing he basically sold me out! I should have realized it when he gave me that hug,” Julian ranted, his fingers flying across the keyboard so fast they blurred.My back was against the wall as I stared at him from the other side of the room, my arms crossed, expression cold.It had been five minutes— five long minutes of Julian trying to track Valentina and Felix's whereabouts, and five minutes of this nagging feeling I couldn’t shake.Were they safe? Were they okay? Were they hurt?That was all that had been clouding my mind, and I hated it.I hated that I wasn’t just worried about Felix, but her too. I shouldn’t care about what happened to her. I shouldn’t care about her safety. If she