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
Alexander pov.“I am launching a new business called greenTech Solutions. It’s a promising venture, and I believe it could be mutually beneficial. I’d like to discuss how your investment could help push things forward and bring great returns. If you give me this opportunity, it will….”I tilted my head and blocked out Damien's voice entirely, my fingers tapping on the table as my attention wandered. My eyes were glued to something else entirely.Or rather, someone.Valentina.She was sitting not far from me, but just close enough to that little bastard, Julian, who seemed far too distracted to focus on what actually mattered here—business.I’d brought him here after learning that he’d arrived in the US a week ago, thinking it was time to teach him a few things about the family business. But now, I was starting to regret that decision. I wasn’t sure why, but seeing him there, leaning in too comfortably next to Valentina, whispering to her with that irritating teasing smile of his, was
Valentina's POVThe sound of the ticking clock seemed to echo faintly, yet it was all I could hear as I drifted into an agonizing daze.What did he say? He must be mistaken. It couldn’t be true.“Mrs. Laurent.” The monotone voice snapped me back to reality, and I blinked, staring at the man in the white coat.“Mrs. Laurent, are you listening to me?” I blinked again, trying to focus on his words, but they seemed to slip through my mind like water through my fingers. The room felt smaller, the air thicker, as if everything was closing in around me.Breathe, Valentina. Breathe.“Repeat what you just said,” I finally found my voice and demanded, but it was quieter than I intended—just barely above a whisper, yet sharp with a desperate edge I didn’t recognize.The doctor’s eyes softened, but he didn’t hesitate. “Mrs. Laurent, I’m afraid you have brain cancer. The prognosis is… very serious. You have only about a year to live.”A chill ran through me, the world shifting in a way I couldn’t
Valentina's POVThis has to be a dream. It’s just a nightmare—a terrible, haunting nightmare. So wake up and end this.A faint and distant voice whispered in my ears, trying to delude me into believing that the sight before me wasn’t real—that my husband of six years wasn’t holding another woman in his lap, wasn’t kissing her neck, leaving marks on her skin as if she were the most precious gem. And that woman… wasn’t Caelina.“Damien, I want you. Please, I really want you now,” Caelina whispered to my husband, her eyes closed as soft moans escaped her lips.“Naughty girl,” Damien murmured, his voice dripping with amusement. “You’re pregnant. Do you really think you can handle me? You know how rough I can be when I’m with you. Be patient, my love.”I stood there, frozen, watching the scene unfold, neither of them noticing my presence in the room.I wanted to speak—scream, demand an explanation for what I was seeing—but the words were stuck in my throat. I could do nothing but stand the
Alexander pov.“I am launching a new business called greenTech Solutions. It’s a promising venture, and I believe it could be mutually beneficial. I’d like to discuss how your investment could help push things forward and bring great returns. If you give me this opportunity, it will….”I tilted my head and blocked out Damien's voice entirely, my fingers tapping on the table as my attention wandered. My eyes were glued to something else entirely.Or rather, someone.Valentina.She was sitting not far from me, but just close enough to that little bastard, Julian, who seemed far too distracted to focus on what actually mattered here—business.I’d brought him here after learning that he’d arrived in the US a week ago, thinking it was time to teach him a few things about the family business. But now, I was starting to regret that decision. I wasn’t sure why, but seeing him there, leaning in too comfortably next to Valentina, whispering to her with that irritating teasing smile of his, was
“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 “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
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
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
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
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 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
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