LOGINValeria stood frozen as she watched Callista walk away with a satisfied smile on her face.“She’s going to Ivan,” Valeria whispered.Her stomach twisted. She knew Callista. There was no way she was going to Ivan simply to check on him. Ivan was hurting, he was angry with Valeria, confused by everything that had happened, and still trying to process the truth about their marriage. That was exactly the kind of opportunity Callista would use.Valeria tightened her grip around her phone.Why had Ivan agreed to see her? Why would he want anything to do with her after all the lies she told?.She thought about calling him. She wanted to ask him why he had agreed to let Callista come over.But what would she say? Are you with Callista?What are you doing with her? The questions sounded desperate even in her head.She locked her phone and dropped it onto the passenger seat. “I shouldn't care,” she whispered.But she did. She cared more than she wanted to admit. After a few seconds, she started
Valeria stared at her phone after the call ended, her father's words kept repeating in her head.Do you want to get yourself killed?She immediately called him back, but the phone rang and went straight to voicemail.She tried again, but it just kept ringing.“Come on, dad. Pick up,” she whispered, her voice laced with frustration. The call rang and went straight to voicemail again.She called him again, but he still wouldn't pick. Her fingers tightened around the phone, as anger replaced the fear she had felt. If he knew something, she was going to make him tell her.Without further waste of time, she started her car and drove straight to her father's house.***When her father opened the door, he looked surprised to see her.“Valeria?” He called, his face twisted as if he had seen a ghost. “What are you doing here?”“You called me,” she said, brushing past him as she stepped inside. “You asked if I wanted to get myself killed. What did you mean?”Her father peeked outside, then clos
The next morning, Valeria woke up with only one thought in her mind. She needed to find the truth.She opened her laptop and continued searching through everything she could find about her father and Ivan’s parents.Old business articles, court records, and company reports. Anything that could tell her what happened all those years ago. Most of the information was useless because some records were incomplete, while others were missing completely.Valeria frowned as she stared at the screen.“Why is there nothing here?” she whispered.Then she clicked on another old article, and it mentioned a business deal between her father and Ivan’s father shortly before Ivan’s parents died. She read it carefully, then she noticed something. The article mentioned a warehouse.She quickly wrote down the address.“This might be something,” she murmured.She searched for the warehouse and discovered it was still standing. At least, according to the information she found. Valeria grabbed her bag and st
“Stand up,” Ivan repeated.Valeria slowly rose from her seat, her legs felt weak. She looked at him with tears running down her cheeks. “Ivan, please listen to me,” she begged. “I swear I didn't know anything about this.”“I know,” Ivan replied coldly.Valeria stared at him. “Then don't let it come between us.”“I know you didn't know what your father did,” Ivan said.“Then why are you looking at me like this?” she asked.Ivan looked away. “I need you to leave.”Valeria's heart dropped. “Leave?”“Yes,” Ivan answered.His grandmother immediately stood. “Ivan, what are you saying?” Mrs. Romano asked.Ivan looked at her. “Grandma, please.”“No,” Mrs. Romano replied firmly. “You cannot do this.”“I need space,” Ivan said.“You need space from your wife because of something her father may have done?” she asked.Ivan's jaw tightened. “I said I need space.”Valeria wiped her tears. “Where am I supposed to go?” she asked.Ivan looked at her with cold eyes. “Wherever you want.”Valeria stare
“Easy,” Ivan said, holding out a glass of water for her.After drinking, she lowered her head and stared at her plate, wishing the ground would open and swallow her. Ivan sat beside her, looking far too calm but every now and then, she felt his eyes on her. Whenever she looked up, their eyes met, and every single time, Valeria quickly looked away.She was still too shy to look at him after what had happened between them, and Ivan seemed to enjoy it.Valeria noticed a small smile appear on his lips. “Stop smiling,” she whispered.“What? I didn't say anything.”“You don't have to.”“You're still blushing,” he said, leaning closed.“I'm not,” she lied.“You are.”Valeria quickly put another spoon of food into her mouth so she wouldn't have to answer him. Ivan chuckled softly. She was still smiling when the dining room doors opened, and Ivan looked up.His grandmother walked inside.“Grandma!” Ivan called, rising from his seat immediately.“Mrs Romano,” Valeria called, disbelief etched i
On their way back to the bedroom, Mike called out to them from the hallway. “Don't you think it's still too early to go to bed?”“We need some time alone as a couple. But you'll not understand that. You're still a bachelor.”Valeria giggled into her palm, Mike rolled his eyes.“I'm going to surprise you soon.”Ivan scoffed. “You’re getting a wife? Please hurry up.”Valeria could no longer hold it, as she chuckled out loud.Mike raised a brow. “You seem to enjoy seeing your husband make fun of me.”“She should,” Ivan chuckled. “That's the thing about marriage. You get a fan who's always by your side.”Mike laughed. “Whatever. Come join us for a moment.”They followed Mike down into a small gathering of not more than four business men. The air was filled with small talks, clicking of glasses, and soft laughter. Valeria couldn't hear everything they said from where she sat, but from the little she heard, she could tell it was all business.Ivan kept addressing the small group while ste
“He’s my husband," Valeria cuts in, chuckling. Dominic's eyes widened, so did Ivan’s. " I like the sound of that,” Dominic said." “And baby," she continued. “This is my new boss." The two men shook hands. Valeria was tense, she knew Dominic would soon start talking so she had to get them apa
“Ms," Ivan called reaching out to touch her.Without raising her head, she pushed past him and stumbled into the rack of sunglasses, falling with it to the floor. Without hesitation, she hurried back up and ran out with the sanitry pad in her hand.“Hey, come back here. You need to pay for that," o
“Are you going somewhere?" Callista yawned, rubbing her eyes as she settled into the couch.“I have an interview," Valeria replied. “I told you I'd be getting a job soon." “An interview," Callista repeated. “Shouldn't you be feeling nervous? You look happy like you're assured of the job." Valeria
“I can't do this, there's no way I'm doing it," Valeria Cruz murmured to herself.She sat at her usual table in her favorite coffee shop, her coffee sat in front of her, untouched.She kept sighing to herself, as she replayed her father's proposal over and over again.No matter how hard she thought







