Valentina’s POV I knelt on the edge of the terrace, the jungle pulsing with heat and humidity around us. The garden shimmered like a fever dream. Petals the color of blood and flame swayed in the misty air—flor de fuego, the fabled “flower of fire.” I couldn’t look away. It was so beautiful. I reached up to brush a strand of hair from my face when my bracelet—an 18k gold filled stainless steel one slipped from my wrist. It was an earlier gift from Raffaele. I didn’t want to risk losing a real 24k one. “No—!” I gasped. It fell, tumbling into the bed of blossoms with a soft thud. Then came the hiss. A curl of smoke. The bracelet melted within seconds, falling tarnished and deformed into the petals as if swallowed by acid. My breath caught. “Oh my god…” The flower could really melt stone, and even metal! And this? This confirmed the myth. A breeze stirred through the clearing—playful at first, then sharp. It picked up the golden pollen and flung it into the ai
Valentina’s POV The private jet’s engine faded as we touched down in Cusco, Peru, the Andes Mountains looming outside my window. My forehead pressed against the cool glass, my breath fogging it as my heart pounded. The vision from Kunlun still burned in my mind: carved terraces, a sea of red flowers, a sky city. Machu Picchu was calling, and I felt it in my bones. Raffaele’s voice cut through my thoughts, low and teasing. “Lost in dreams, mi amore? Or plotting to unearth Inca secrets without me?” I turned, catching his dark eyes glinting with that infuriating charm. His linen shirt was unbuttoned just enough to reveal a tease of tanned chest, and I hated how it made my pulse quicken. “Maybe,” I shot back, tossing my hair. “But I’ll let you carry my bag, caro. For now.” He leaned closer, his smirk dangerously warm. “Only if you say ‘pretty please’ first.” “Keep dreaming, Ricchezza.” I nudged his knee with mine, the contact sending a spark through me. Trust was a fragile t
Valentina’s POV I was still in the hot tub at The Lonely Space Gobi Wild Luxury Hotel when Raffaele gave me that strange look—that sideways glance like it was something he was holding back from me. He hesitated. I tilted my head. “What? You’re not gonna tell me what’s going on?” He didn’t answer right away. “It’s nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m just thinking. Try not to get all defensive—I’m tired…” I narrowed my eyes. “I’m not being defensive. You’re being weird.” He looked at me again, more serious this time. He shifted in the water, not meeting my gaze. “I’m just trying to figure out how to say it.” That made me pause and my stomach dipped. I chewed on my lip nervously, eyeing him. “Say what?” Something about the way he looked at me… I already knew it wasn’t good. He finally met my eyes. “I got the full report from Matteo,” he said quietly. “You’re a match.” I frowned. “A match for what?” He took a slow breath and His voice dropped lower now ”The DNA. The
Valentina’s POV Raffaele and I fell through the spirit gate, purple sparks flying as the wind howled around us. Inside me, I felt the flower burning. Lines from the chant of the third tether surged through my chest— “The soul is a shadow that longs to roam… Rise on wings to claim the throne… Or let your spirit cling to bone…” I squeezed my eyes shut, praying we wouldn’t die. Then I landed hard—right on top of Raffaele with a groan that wasn’t mine. “Valentina,” he gasped, half-winded, “you’ll be the death of me.” I let out a breathless laugh. “Oh, but what a beautiful, poetic death, no?” I smirked down at him. “Or how did Tatekulu put it back in the helicopter?” He gave me a look. Then, mimicking the tone, he added, “‘If you’re the one digging us out of some ditch, I can die a happy man.’” He let out a soft huff. “He elbowed me when he said it, too.” He laughed. “I remember. All right. Just—please don’t crush my ribs again.” “And somehow… we were still alive,” I whis
Valentina’s POV The men were still catching their breath, sweaty and silent, having just finished burying the giant skeletons. I turned around at the sudden whirring noise above. “A drone!” My scarf snapped in the wind as I looked to Raffaele. “It’s Tariq—I know it is!” A burst of static cracked through the drone’s speaker before his voice came through, distorted but unmistakable. “Princess, you’re right. You think you can outrun me, but I will find you—wherever you are.” He snorted darkly. “You think you can uncover what I did here? Good luck with that, Valentina. Not even the Chinese know. You’re chasing ghosts in Ghost City… and soon, you’ll be one of them.” Then his voice came out twisting through the static a bit distorted. It echoed across the ridge, wrapped in wind and technical wire. “You think the Saffron Veil and the Americans realize I’m playing them both?” He laughed low, smug. “They don’t.” “The Saffron Veil is dying to see how the red flower blooms… to fe
Valentina’s POV The wind shifted as we passed beneath the dragon-shaped ridge. It was incredibly long—about forty meters. Somehow, it truly looked like a dragon’s spine before it melted into the natural rock formations that continued in a similar pattern across the slope. Could any animal have really been that big? “Your satellite scans, Raffaele, showed the formation continues above ground for nearly ten kilometers, right?” I asked, eyes tracing the eerie ridgeline. I slipped my hand into his. Raffaele’s fingers were warm. Safe. I needed that right now. I didn’t trust Kaifeng Lei or the Bone Sons. Money could only take us so far. I’d been testing them. Charm was my shield. “I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable, caro,” I murmured, keeping my eyes on the ridge. “I had to make sure he wouldn’t push you off the cliff. Your money’s only as good as the mood it buys.” I glanced sideways at him. Raffaele gave the slightest nod, his jaw tense. “He has that predator chemistry…ch