Valentina Reading Novels & Stories

She no longer exists. Under the last line was a name he had never seen me write. [Elena Valenti] For a moment, Julian didn’t understand. Then the name hit him like a fist. Valenti. Anyone in New York knew the name. Old money whispered it. Politicians feared it. Cops pretended not to see it. It belonged to armored gates, private docks, and men who smiled before pulling the trigger. He sank into a chair, his face draining of color. He called my old number.

“Why can’t you look at me the way you look at these books? Should I summon a book fairy and have myself turned into a first edition? Maybe then you’d read every page with that much care.” She glanced over her shoulder, one brow raised. “Please. I can read you like an open book just fine.” She smirked, then turned away with a shrug. “Now stop being lazy and get to work. Don’t ruin my mood.” But just before she disappeared down the aisle, she tossed a wink back at me, flirtatiously smug, and utterly infuriating. And here I was again, already chasing her between the bookshelves. I handed over Valentina an old cargo log. Her fingers moved quickly through a yellowed manifest, eyes scanning with s

she said while still looking at him Valentina could see the admiration in her eyes. She could read people so easily and she could read this woman so well. In fact, the only person she couldn't do this to was Alexander, which was why his presence annoyed her sometimes. The young woman admired him and was clearly attracted to him. In fact, she was really beautiful. She seemed about twenty three and she looked like she took her job too seriously. At this point, Valentina was already getting very territorial because after they shook hands she wouldn't let go of Alexander.

The caption screams in bold letters: CRUZ HOLDINGS CEO'S SECRET ROMANCE: Who Is The Mystery Woman? My blood runs cold, my fingers trembling. The photo is clear. His hand is on my lower back, and my face tilts up toward his. I drop the magazine as if it has burned me. "Oh my God," I whisper. "Zara." I look up, and Valerio is standing in the doorway of his office. His expression is unreadable, but I can see the storm beneath the surface. "Come in," he says. I walk into his office on shaking legs. The moment I step inside, he closes the door and draws the blinds, the click of the remote loud in the silence.

"Good, you're awake. Want to watch Mr. Bellandi smash what's left of his life?" I looked at him. "What did you do?" "Nothing dramatic. I just put the truth in front of him." Nico sat beside the bed, his smile faint. "No one hurts the Valenti princess and walks off without paying the bill." The screen on the wall lit up with security footage from the villa living room. Investigators had temporarily released Matteo to retrieve documents. He walked in and found Vivian sitting on the carpet with Lark, luxury shopping bags piled around them. In the trash lay torn pieces of a photo of me.

They all chanted. Matteo drank his milk solemnly. Aunt Elena, is Sofia proud? Elena smiled. Yes, darling. Very proud. The Library After dinner, Elena went up to the library. Valentina's box was still on the table. She opened it and went through the documents one by one. There was a lot of work to be done. A lot of truth continues to be brought to light. But she wasn't alone anymore. Dante came in silently. Is everything alright?

"Hey, it's alright. I understand you're trying to hustle. I respect it. But don't rush too much, you know? You're still a kid. You've got me." I smiled at her. "I know. Thanks. I'm really appreciative." "So," she said, sitting down across from me. "How is work going?" "Fine. It's more interesting when it's not busy but when it starts, it's like Moses unloaded the Ark." She snickered. "I hear that 7/11 is the spot around here." Valentina strolled into the kitchen with a yawn, stretching her arm. She wore a skimpy sports bra and a little short rolled at her hips. I focused on eating to avoid looking at her.

Jace stood near the door, his arms crossed, while Alejandro leaned against his desk, glaring at the woman in front of him. And then Aria saw her. Valentina had stunning long, dark hair cascading over her shoulders, full lips painted blood-red, and a body that screamed power and seduction. She was everything Aria wasn’t. Valentina turned, her gaze landing on Aria like a predator spotting prey. "And who might this be?" Alejandro’s jaw ticked. "None of your concern." Valentina smirked. "Oh, but it is my concern. I come back, and suddenly you have a new toy?"

POV: Carmela I observed Valentina from across my mahogany desk with the clinical detachment of a surgeon measuring an incision. She stood before me, trembling in her damp coat, her breathing shallow and ragged. She was transparent—every fear, every raw emotion written across her face like an open ledger. This girl was not built for the dark ecosystem of the Ricci empire. She operated on love, on guilt, on desperate hope. Weaknesses. Every single one of them.

BLURB "Get rid of it." Six years later, those three words still echo in Valentina's chest every time she looks at her daughter's face. Mateo Castillo never wanted a child with the wife he never chose. So she buried the truth, built an empire in secret, and learned to survive on nothing but her own strength. Then he walks in carrying another woman's blood on his shirt, and asks Valentina to fix what he broke. "Who were you talking to?" he demands, eyes narrowed on the laptop she just slammed shut. "Nobody," she lies, hiding five years of secrets in one word. She wants out. He wants thirty days to make his affair look respectable first. She agrees, because she has nothing left to fight f