Chapter Four

Valentina's POV

The plan was simple.

I would go back to Russia for a couple of days, then return to Rome and convince Daniel that we needed to move somewhere far away. Somewhere even my father wouldn't be able to find me.

I wasn't going to allow myself to get pulled back into the life I had run away from.

Not again.

"Where the hell are we going?"

Renzo's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"You haven't said a single thing. You just keep staring out the window."

I didn't respond.

I had already given the driver Daniel's office address, and that was all I cared about.

I didn't look at Renzo because whenever I did, an unexplainable kind of pain spread through my chest.

It felt like I was being paralyzed.

When we got to Daniel's office, I got down quickly. I had already decided what I was going to tell him but I wasn't going to tell him everything. Not yet.

I just needed him to understand that we had to leave Rome.

What if they came for him?

What if they hurt him just to get to me?

I couldn't let that happen.

Whatever happened next, I had to get Daniel away from Rome before anyone could use him against me.

God, my head hurt just thinking about it.

But I didn't know if they would come after him. He had nothing to do with my father's world. As far as I knew, Daniel was just a normal man who had no idea what kind of family I came from.

I kept telling myself that meant he was safe. I needed to believe that. Anything to convince myself that everything was going to be fine.

I walked into the building, with Renzo right behind me.

We got into the elevator.

"You haven't said a single word since we left."

I looked at him from the corner of my eye. There was no cocky smirk on his face this time. He looked genuinely concerned.

I hated that I noticed." And when you have nothing to say, you keep quiet."

The elevator doors opened, and I walked out quickly.

Daniel's office was on the last floor. Renzo followed behind me.

When I got to Daniel's door, I didn't bother knocking. I needed to see him. I needed to know he was okay before I left. 

For a split second, I couldn't understand what I was seeing.Then everything inside me went cold.

There was another woman on top of my fiancé. The man I was supposed to marry in six months. Someone I thought loved me and was going to give me the normal life I had always wanted.

They didn't notice me at first.

I stood there, completely still, just watching them. Then the woman finally noticed me.

She quickly got off him and tried to cover herself.

"Daniel..."

I said his name, but my voice barely came out. I wanted to scream, wanted to cry.

But nothing happened. I just stood there.

"Baby..."

Daniel quickly got up. "I can explain."

Renzo stepped forward. "You better."

Daniel looked at him. "Who the hell are you?"

Renzo moved closer. "I am your worst nightmare."

"Stop!" I screamed.

Both of them turned toward me.

Tears were already running down my cheeks, and I was using everything in me not to collapse.

Daniel immediately turned back to me.

"Baby, I promise you, it's not what you think."

"Then what is it?"

"I can explain. Please. Just give me a chance."

"How long?"

He went silent.

I stared at him. "How long have you been cheating on me with her?"

Daniel swallowed hard.

"Three months."

For a moment, I couldn't breathe.

"Three months?" I stared at him.

Three whole months. While I was planning our wedding. While I was thinking about our future. While I was telling myself that I had finally gotten it right.

I started laughing. I didn't even know why.

"Explain what exactly?"

"The fact that we're supposed to get married in six months and you've been sleeping with another woman?"

"Valentina, I'm sorry."

"What's wrong with me?" My voice cracked.

"Why would you hurt me this much?"

"You did nothing wrong."

"Then why?"

He tried to move closer, but I stepped back.

"Don't."

He stopped.

I looked at the woman standing in the corner. She wouldn't even look at me.Then I looked back at Daniel.

I had loved and trusted him. And this was what he did with that trust.

Slowly, I pulled the ring from my finger.

Daniel's eyes widened.

"Valentina, please."

I threw the ring at him. "I hate you."

The words came out quietly. "I never want to see you again."

I turned around and walked out.

"Valentina!" Daniel followed me.

"Please, just listen to me."

I kept walking.

"Baby, I'm sorry!"

I didn't turn around.

Renzo walked beside me, his face hard and his fists clenched.

He looked like he wanted to turn around and kill him. But I didn't care. I had already been hurt enough.

Outside the building, I stopped. I looked up at the sky, trying to breathe. I thought Daniel was different, I thought he was the man I would grow old with. I thought we were going to build a life together.

But apparently, I was stupid.

Fairy tales were meant to stay in books and not for people like me.

Renzo and I didn't speak again until we were in the air.

I cried the entire time.

My chest hurt from crying so much. My eyes were swollen, my face was wet, and I could barely keep them open.

I didn't even care anymore.

"Why did you stop me from ripping his head off?"

Renzo's voice was filled with anger.

I looked at him.

"If I had let you, you would have killed him."

He didn't deny it.

He had enough deaths on his conscience already.

I wanted to kill Daniel myself.

I wanted so much to hate him. I wanted to be angry.

But instead, I was just sad.

The kind of sadness I had only felt once before. The night I begged Renzo to leave Russia with me.

The night he chose my father over me.

 "Why?"

Renzo looked at me. "Why what, Valentina?"

His voice was softer now.

"Why didn't you come with me?"

He didn't say anything.

"If you had come with me, maybe none of this would have happened." My tears started falling again.

"Maybe I wouldn't have chosen Daniel."

I looked at him through my tears.

"Maybe I wouldn't have spent three years convincing myself that I had finally found the right person.”

Renzo's jaw tightened.

"We could have been happy."

"Our lives could have been perfect."

My voice broke.

"Why, Renzo?"

He stared at me for a long time. Then he whispered the only thing he had ever given me when I needed an explanation.

"I'm sorry."

I laughed bitterly through my tears. "That's all you have to say?"

He looked away.

I wiped my face and looked away from him. I had spent years believing that love would finally give me the life I wanted.

Renzo had broken my heart. Daniel had betrayed me. Maybe love was never meant for me. Right there and then, I made a promise to myself.

I was done with men.