Ruined By Desire のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 51 - チャプター 60

Valentina had been gone for four months.Four long, quiet months in a small coastal city three hours away from the life she had left behind. She had chosen a modest one-bedroom apartment overlooking the sea nothing luxurious, nothing that reminded her of the grand villa with its garden and empty chairs. The rent was affordable on her new café job salary, and the constant sound of waves helped drown out the memories that still haunted her at night.She worked as a barista in a quiet little shop near the boardwalk. The routine was simple: open at 6 a.m., serve coffee and pastries, smile at tourists and locals, close at 4 p.m. Most days she barely spoke beyond taking orders. Her colleagues knew her as the quiet, polite girl who never talked about her past. She preferred it that way.Every evening after work, Valentina walked along the beach. The salt air stung her eyes, but she welcomed the discomfort. It kept her present. It stopped her from slipping back into the memories of stolen kis

Sofia stood at the front door of the villa with her small overnight bag in hand, hesitating for a long moment before she finally turned the key.The familiar click of the lock sounded louder than it should have.She stepped inside and was immediately hit by the scent of lemon cleaner mixed with something warm garlic and herbs. Luca had clearly been cooking. The house was spotless, the floors gleaming, the flowers in the vases fresh. Everything looked exactly as she remembered it, yet nothing felt the same.Luca appeared at the end of the hallway, keeping a respectful distance. He was dressed simply in a gray sweater and jeans, his hair neatly combed. He didn’t move toward her or try to hug her.“Welcome home,” he said quietly, his voice calm and low. “I prepared your room exactly as you left it. Your favorite pasta is almost ready if you’re hungry. I’ll stay out of your way as much as you need.”Sofia nodded once, not quite meeting his eyes.“Thank you,” she murmured.She walked past

The evening light in the garden was soft and golden, casting long shadows across the grass. The old oak tree stood tall and steady, its leaves rustling gently in the breeze the same tree where Luca had once sat alone the night Sofia left, and where Valentina had once dreamed of a life where their love could exist in the open.Sofia carried the small wooden box with both hands as she walked toward the bench under the tree. Luca was already there, sitting quietly with his elbows on his knees, staring at the grass. He looked up when he heard her footsteps but didn’t stand. He simply waited, giving her the space she needed.She sat on the opposite end of the bench, placing the box between them like a fragile offering.“I’ve been reading them,” Sofia said, her voice quiet but steady. “The letters Valentina wrote. She left them in the guest room.”Luca’s jaw tightened, but he remained silent, letting her lead.Sofia opened the box and pulled out one letter the longest and rawest one Valenti

The garden was quiet under the soft evening light. Sofia and Luca sat on the stone bench beneath the old oak tree the same place where so many painful conversations had taken place. The wooden box of Valentina’s unsent letters rested between them like a living thing, heavy with truth and unresolved pain.They had been sitting in silence for nearly twenty minutes. Sofia stared at the grass, her fingers tracing the edge of the box. Luca waited patiently, giving her the space she needed. He had learned that pushing only made her pull away.Finally, Sofia spoke.“I keep thinking about what you said yesterday,” she said quietly. “About still loving her.”Luca’s shoulders tensed, but he didn’t look away.Sofia turned to face him, her eyes red-rimmed but steady.“Do you still love Valentina?” she asked. Her voice was calm, but the question carried the weight of months of suppressed pain. “Be honest. I need to hear it.”Luca took a slow, deep breath. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then

Luca stood frozen in the kitchen, staring at the glowing screen of his phone.Valentina’s message was short. Careful. Devastating in its honesty.“I know I have no right to write this.I’m not asking for anything. I just needed you to know that I’m still carrying the weight of what I did. Every day.I hope Sofia is healing. I hope you’re finding peace.I’m sorry. For everything.Valentina”He had read it at least ten times.His thumb hovered over the reply button. His heart the one that had stayed loyal to Sofia for months was now screaming at him. He still loved her. The feeling had never died. It had only been buried under guilt, duty, and the desperate need to fix what he had broken.But he couldn’t reply.Not yet.Not without talking to Sofia first.He found her in the garden, sitting on the stone bench under the old oak tree, the wooden box of Valentina’s letters resting in her lap. The evening light was fading, painting everything in soft purples and deep oranges.Luca approa