~ALINA’S POV~ My breath hitched. For a second, I just stood there frozen, like the words had slapped me clean across the face. A slow sting spread across my chest, and my throat tightened like it was closing in on itself. “Val—” “No. Fuckk you. For every time I looked at you and believed you. For every time I thought what we had was real.” “Please don’t say that.” “Fuckk you for making me believe in something that didn’t exist,” he said. “All this illusion of love you planted in my heart, it was a fuckiing lie.” “No, Val. Please. Everything we had together was real. Please, just give me time to prove everything to you.” “I don’t care,” he said flatly. “I don’t care what you were planning. I don’t care who he is. I don’t care if you were trying to surprise me or the fuckiing Holy Grail. All I know is, you lied.” He paused, then added, “If you can keep something this big from me, I don’t even know who you are.” He turned from me, then spun back again, rage f
~ALINA’S POV~ I felt the ground tilt beneath me. For a second, I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. I stood frozen in place, every bone in my body locked, every word caught in my throat. My heels felt like they were glued to the marble floor beneath me. It was like the air had disappeared from the room, and all I could feel was heat rushing to my face and cold rushing through my chest. Valentino. Oh my God. He stood there, arms crossed, eyes dark, calm in a way that only made the storm more real. His voice was cold, low, mocking. “Surprise.” My heart slammed so hard against my ribs I thought it would crack me open. No. No, no, no. My legs wobbled and I nearly staggered, but I forced myself to stand tall. I swallowed the panic rising in my throat. How did he find out? How did he even know I was here? God, I’m doomed. He must think the worst, and the truth is, he has every right to. He won’t believe me if I say I was already planning to
~VALENTINO’S POV ~ “….Moglie… why?” I said it quietly, but inside, it hurt more than I could explain. She didn’t hear me. “What’s that?” she asked from behind me. I remained quiet, because that’s the only way I can prevent myself from hurting her in this very moment. “Val?” I turned slightly, still clutching the file, but the tide in my chest was already retreating, not because the storm had passed, but because I had decided not to couldn’t explode yet. If I confront her now, she’ll deny it, spin it, hide behind half-truths, and I won’t have proof solid enough to pin her down. But at Ali’s Holdings, if I catch her red-handed, there will be no lies, no escape. So I smiled, even though it felt like swallowing broken glass. “Nothing, amore,” I said gently, closing the file and sliding it back into my bag with care I didn’t feel. “Just going over some work. I realized how busy I’ve been lately, and how much I’ve missed you.” I crossed the room slowly, like a m
~VALENTINO’S POV~ The house was quiet and still. The kind of stillness that wraps around you like a blanket when you’re waiting for someone you love. I stood by the bedroom window, my shirt unbuttoned, sleeves rolled to my elbows, a glass of bourbon untouched in my hand. The city stretched out beneath the window, lights blinking like stars fallen too low. But all I could think about… was her. Alina. My woman, my wife. I exhaled softly and glanced at the time again. She left the office hours ago. Where is she? I turned from the window and sat on the edge of the bed, placing the glass on the nightstand. Maybe she stopped somewhere, maybe Ethan was being a bastard again, maybe she got caught up with something on her way home. She always cared too deeply for people. I ran a hand through my hair and smiled a little, remembering the way she curled into me at night, always chasing my warmth like it was the only thing in the world that made her feel safe. God,
~Alina’s POV~“What?” I blinked, lifting my head slowly to meet the stranger’s face. My brows furrowed. “You’re saying you’re this boy? The lurking around in the photo?”I stared down at the photo still glowing on my phone screen. Valentino, Dante and that third boy in the background—the one I hadn’t been able to stop wondering about since Giulia handed me the picture.But now… that boy was standing right in front of me.The man gave a lazy shrug and tilted his head, his dark brown eyes sharp despite the calm expression on his face. He looked older now, of course—late twenties or maybe early thirties—but the face in the picture… it wasn’t too far off.Sharp cheekbones, long lashes, a strong, angular jawline.“You can’t be serious,” Giulia muttered beside me, her voice laced with suspicion.“Look closely,” he said with a faint smile. “See the mole on my left cheek? Look at the boy in the picture.”I leaned in, holding the phone up against his face. My eyes scanned every detail. Sur
~ALINA’S POV~The engine hummed low as the car coasted through the winding alleys of Queens Road. It was a narrow road tucked at the edge of Toronto’s heart—cracked, cluttered, and always buzzing with life. On either side of the street, makeshift tents, broken crates, and bundles of faded blankets spilled onto the sidewalk like discarded memories.The sun had begun its slow descent, dyeing the sky a bruised orange as it filtered through grimy building windows.I was behind the wheel, one hand gripping the steering while the other hovered over a small stack of papers lying on the dashboard. My eyes flicked down to them again—thin, sharp-edged, like they still carried the weight of betrayal.The documents Ethan had returned.I bit my lower lip, exhaling.“I can’t believe Valentino did all this,” I murmured, my voice soft with disbelief. “He didn’t even ask questions. Just made Ethan give everything back to me.”Beside me, Giulia popped open a can of lemon soda, letting out a dramatic