Chapter Three

Valentina's POV

It had been 32 hours since I had seen the senator get shot, and I hadn't slept.

I lay on the couch, staring at the door every few seconds. I hadn't gone to work, and I hadn't left my apartment.

I had begged Daniel not to go out—not to go to work—but I couldn't tell him the real reason. I couldn't drag him into this.

How was I supposed to tell him that I had witnessed a murder and that the men who killed the senator had seen my face?

I couldn't.

Suddenly, a knock landed on my door. My heart jumped to my throat.

I didn't move.

It couldn't be Daniel, he wouldn't knock because he had a key.

The knock came again. Then it stopped.

I waited, barely breathing.

After about some more minutes, it came again.

I slowly got up and went to the kitchen. I picked up a butcher knife because if I was going down, I was going down with a fight.

I placed the knife behind my back and slowly tiptoed toward the door.

I didn't open it immediately.

"I can hear you breathing, Valentina. Open the door."

That voice.

The moment I heard it, it felt like the ground under my feet shifted. I would recognize that Russian accent anywhere.

It was Renzo da Luca.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?"

"Open the fucking door, Valentina."

After hesitating for what felt like forever, I opened it.

He stood there, dressed in his usual black long coat, his hair slightly messy.

And God, he looked more breathtaking than I remembered.

Snap out of it.

It had been three years, and he looked like he hadn't aged even a day.

Those blue eyes. I shook my head.

I was engaged and I loved Daniel.

"Are you going to let me in?"

"No."

"Is that a butcher knife behind you?"

He turned his head, that annoying smile appearing on his lips.

I hated him with everything in me.

Because if I stopped pretending I hated him, the pain would come back.

And I couldn't handle that again.

"What the hell are you doing here? If my dad sent you, I am not going back to Russia. I can't."

"Let me in, Valentina," he said calmly, but with undeniable command.

I moved aside without even thinking.

He stepped into the middle of my living room, scanning every corner.

It only took Renzo a few seconds to check the room and make sure there was always an exit that wasn't the door.

"Pack your bags, Valentina. Only important things. We're leaving. Whatever you leave behind, you'll get a replacement in Russia, okay?"

He spoke to me like he was talking to a child, and I immediately felt my anger rising.

"Don't speak to me like that. I'm not going anywhere until I know exactly what's happening.”

"You are in danger, Valentina. Your father has sent me to bring you home.”

"And how the hell do you know that? I am perfectly fine. I am safe."

"Yeah, tell that to the knife you're holding."

I froze slightly.

He didn't even glance at it again, like it didn't matter.

"You know you're in danger," he continued, his voice lower now. "And Don Marco doesn't forgive. He is going to put a bullet through your head."

"My father is just being paranoid. This is all just a big misunderstanding, and if they haven't found me yet, maybe they never will."

I shook my head.

"I spent three years building this life. I'm not throwing it away because of one night.

 "Do you really believe that?" he asked.

"What?"

"That everything is going to go back to normal?"

He stepped closer again.

"They already know where you live, Valentina. You know what happens next if you stay.”

No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that they weren't going to find me, I knew better.

I did.

"So," he said, walking lazily around my living room, "where is the boyfriend?"

I lifted my ring.

"Fiancé," I said proudly.

"Where is he? Isn't he supposed to be here protecting you?"

"He went to work. And stop asking."

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" he asked with a smirk.

Of course he did.

But I wasn't going to tell him that or give him the satisfaction of seeing it.

"You wish."

"Let me guess," he said. "Your dearest fiancé doesn't know that you're a Vatteli, right?"

"And this is going to remain that way. I cannot drag Daniel into this bullshit mess."

"Oh, how touching."

Renzo walked toward the window. Then he looked outside.

“Your apartment building is being watched."

My heart stopped.

"What?"

Renzo pointed toward the window.

"Look carefully. Black car across the street. Two men inside.”

 "They found you.”

"Oh no."

I began to pace back and forth.

"This is bad. This is really bad."

"This is a safe area, and we can still leave, but it has to be now. They aren't going to attack you in public with everybody watching. They're likely going to wait until nightfall."

Renzo nodded and continued.

"Then we leave before nightfall."

I stared at the window for a long moment.

I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to go back to Russia. But I wasn't stupid enough to stay when men were already watching my apartment.

Renzo looked at me.

"Fine,I'll go back." I whispered.

For some reason, saying those words hurt more than I expected. I was going back to Russia.The place I had sworn never to return to.

"Pack your things," Renzo said.

I turned toward my room. "What about Daniel?"

Renzo didn't answer immediately.

"What about him?"

"I'm not leaving without telling him."

"Valentina, we don't have time."

"I don't care." I shook my head. "He's my fiancé. If I'm disappearing without saying a word, he deserves to know why."

Renzo stared at me for a few seconds.

"Fine. Make it quick.”

I rushed to my room and began packing up the essentials in a small duffel bag.

I couldn't believe everything I had worked for, everything I had built for three years.I was going to leave it all behind.

I felt my heart breaking because I was supposed to be getting married in six months. I had finally found the life I wanted. And now I was leaving it.

"Is the private jet ready?" I asked from inside the room.

"Yes," he replied calmly.

I threw the duffel bag over my shoulder.

"Let's go." I walked past him.

"Don't you think I should carry that?"

"No. I don't need your help." He rolled his eyes.

Outside, a black taxi was already waiting for us. Renzo checked the street before opening the door for me.

We got in, and the driver immediately pulled away from the building.

I looked back through the window.

"Are we being followed?"

"I don't know yet," Renzo replied.

"We need to hurry.”

I stared out the window, watching the city I had grown to love disappear behind us. I didn't know when I would see it again. If I would ever see it again.

" Airport?” The driver asked.

"Airport," Renzo said.

The driver nodded.

"No." 

Both of them turned to look at me.

"What?" Renzo asked.

I tightened my grip on the bag. "I'm not leaving without talking to Daniel."

"We don't have time for this."

"I don't care." I looked at him.

"I need to see him."

Renzo stared at me for a few seconds before looking away.

"Fine."

The driver looked at us through the mirror.

"Where?"

I gave him Daniel's office address. The car changed direction.

I leaned back against the seat, trying to prepare myself for the conversation I was about to have.

I had no idea that walking into Daniel's office was about to change everything.