Chapter 2

Things were no longer the same.

"This is the first time, and I hope it's the last."

Valentina gently rubbed the bone in my wrist. Her voice was soft, but there was a chill in her eyes.

Elliot protested angrily. "He burned my face and almost stabbed my eye. You're just going to—"

Valentina glanced at him, and Elliot immediately shut up.

The two of them walked away, leaving the wreckage behind. They didn't care what the others thought of me.

I grinned. Funny enough, neither did I.

…

When I returned to my apartment, I started going through all the assets in Valentina's and my names. It took me until well past midnight.

No wonder Elliot was so eager to take my place. Valentina and I had enough money to buy the entire southern district.

I scoffed, then got ready for bed.

A call came from an unknown number. Elliot's smug voice came through. "Mr. Lewitt, if you have any dignity left, you'll walk away from Tina. After all, you're getting old. What are you hanging around for?"

I looked down and lit a cigarette. Then I teased him. "You don't even have a face left to show anyone, yet you still have time to worry about me?"

The pain from his burns hit him all over again, and his rough voice came out like a tortured scream.

"Damon, your mom needs Tina to stay alive! What the fuck gives you the right to run your goddamn mouth?"

The smile froze on my lips.

Elliot seemed satisfied, and he said venomously, "I've already stopped your mom's medicine. She's probably barely hanging on by now. If you hurry, you might still get there in time to see her one—"

Before he could finish, I hung up and rushed to the hospital.

I called Valentina over and over on the way, but she never answered. I ran eight red lights, pushing my tires to the verge of losing traction, before finally reaching the hospital.

Once I got the ventilator on Mom in time, I finally returned to my senses.

Mom was my life. I understood that from the moment Valentina rescued me from the black market. No one could ever matter more to me than her, not even Valentina.

Elliot meant nothing compared to Mom.

…

Early the next morning, I timed it so Valentina would be gone, then stormed into Elliot's home alone. After knocking out his bodyguard, I leisurely wiped my knife.

Elliot shook violently and immediately reached for his phone to call Valentina. The very next moment, the same blade he had dodged the day before sank straight into his palm.

His agonized screams echoed through the villa.

I stepped on his shoulder and pressed the knife in deeper, annoyed by his screaming.

"Keep it down. You're so bloody annoying."

His eyes widened as if he finally understood just how dangerous I was.

Just like back then, even if Valentina hadn't come to save me, I would have killed that bastard myself.

Elliot hated my guts, and he still stuck out his neck and shouted, "You're a heartless fucking idiot! Do you know why Tina still won't marry you? You killed her son. She hates you!"

I paused and slowly looked up at him.

Elliot laughed triumphantly.

So Valentina had told him everything.

Six years earlier was the darkest time of my life. She was kidnapped by her enemies and barely escaped with her life. I had no other choice, so I took our month-old son to them myself.

To torment her, they drowned our child right in front of her.

While they were distracted, I rescued Valentina. She was frighteningly calm at the time.

A year later, she slaughtered everyone at her enemies' hideout. The smell of blood lingered for three whole days.

Everyone connected to her enemies disappeared without a trace, too.

Those memories came rushing back to me.

So what had she been feeling when she opened up to another man about all of this?