Chapter 45
Just the way you hide the fact that it was your own boss, aka Luciano De‘ Valentino, who spread the news of his fake marriage.*
My eyes
widened to tlie point of coming out of their sockets as Sabrina threw the bombshell.
“WHAT?” The loud and astonishing sound escaped my mouth before I could even process the inforination.
I forgot that I was supposed to hide myself there. The news came as a shock to me.
Three pairs of eyes turned towards my direction simultaneously, and a deafening, piercing silence followed my inadvertent scream. Luciano’s eyes dilated, registering both shock and surprise. My presence seemed to stun him as much as the revelation had shocked me.
My eyes flicked to Sabrina when she broke the silence with her venom filled voice.
“Oh, Vanessa, my darling, what a perfect moment for you to make an entrance, she chuckled, a sinister delight evident in
her tone.
Stepping forward 1 entered the dimly lit cabin of Luciano. Everyone has already seen me, there was no benefit in standing there. I wanted to know the truth.
“Vanessa what are you doing here?” Luciano asked when his eyes were sure that it was actually me standing in front of him.
Turning to face him, I confronted the man I thought I knew, seeking answers in the depths of his eyes.
“What is she saying?” I asked, my voice steady but my heart pounding in my chest.
He is the only person whom I trust and a part of me desperately hoped that Sabrina’s words were nothing but lies.
“She’s telling rubbish!” Luciano responded, his voice tinged with frustration and defiance.
“Oh! I might lie, but the evidence can’t,” Sabrina chimed in, a sinister smile playing on her lips.
Reaching out to the pocket of her jeans she took out her phone.
“Would you like to see them?” Sabrina asked me.
I remained silent while she did something on her phonet
“See”
After a moment, she handed me her phone, and as I stared at the screen, a cascade of emotions surged within me.
There I could see pictures of the conversation between Luciano and his secretary. They were of the night when I ran away from my marriage and spent time with Luciano. It seems like Sabrina got her hands on the phone of Luciano’s secretary anyhow and she clicked the pictures of their conversation.
As I scrolled through the damning evidence, one message in particular sent a shockwave through my senses.
One of the messages says,
The pictures has been successfully clicked. I don’t want you to mess up with my plan. Publish the newe People should think that I have married Vanessa Harper‘
the way I told you!
My hands trembled, and the phone threatened to slip from my grasp, but Sabrina caught it just in time. A gasp caught in my
Chapter 45
Apr
throat, and tears stung my eyes as the weight of the betrayal unfolded before me.
It is not for the first time that I have got the betrayal but it felt even more painful than the previous one. I trusted him at the point when I was completely broken and weak and he took the advantage of my vulnerability.
Sabrina’s eyes gleamed with a mix of satisfaction and malice as she observed my reaction. It was quite expected from him. My eyes flicked to Luciano who did something most unexpected.
The pain in my chest intensified as I grappled with the reality that, once again; someone I had allowed into my heart had betrayed my trust. It hurt even more this time because I had started developing genuine feelings for Luciano. The weight of his deception pressed on me, and I could almost hear my heart breaking into countless pieces.
“I think I should leave now” Sabrina laughed and walked passed me, colliding her shoulder with me knowingly.
Sensing the sensitivity of the moment, his secretary also left the cabin, leaving the two of us alone.
No words were exchanged between me and Luciano as my eyes were searching for the truth in his eyes but he was still not ready to open up.
But his silence proved one thing that whatever Sabrina said and showed to me was right. She wasn’t lie. The person who is a lier here is him!
We stayed like that for a few minutes. I was waiting for him to open up and tell me what was all that but he didn’t utter a single word.
And I was done with it!
Done with him!
Done with everything!
Turning around, I walked away from him only to be hearing him screaming behind me.
“Vanessa stop!”
What’s the use of stopping me now. He didn’t say anything when I gave him chance.
Instead of stopping I just kept on running until I reached his private elevator. He has taken me with it two three times so 1 have memorized the passcode. Using it, I just went inside and before he could catch me the doors closed.
I was controlling my emotions till now but when I became alone they came out like a storm. A loud sob escaped my throat which resonated in the whole lift. A thick hot tear streamed down my cheek.
After getting such a big betrayal I promised myself not to fall into the trap of any other person but I ended up doing the same. I deserve it!
With a ping, the doors opened and I rushed out of it. As I was running out of the building I heard him again. I increased the speed of my steps before he could reach me.
As I ran away from the building, the city lights blurred in my tear–filled vision. His desperate calls were chasing me.
“Vanessa, please stop!”
The road was silent and I couldn’t see even a single soul out there. The clouds crackled, resonating the voice inside me. I was breaking.
A part of me wanted to stop, to confront him, to demand answers. Yet, the wounds were too fresh, and my legs carried me forward. I wanted to run away from him, from everything.
14:30 Sat, 6 Apr
Chapter 45
“Please, give me a chance. Let me explain. Please Dove”
And my
feet came to a halt as I heard ‘Dove. It stirred something deep inside me. He chased me and stood in front of me while both of us were panting heavily. I could see small tears of guilt and pain in his eyes.
Our breaths lingered in the cold air. I was left torn between the desire for answers and the fear of further heartbreak. My whole body was shaking very badly and my head was spinning like crazy.
Luciano took a deep breath, as if getting himself ready for the explanation. His eyes, still moist with guilt and pain, locked onto mine. After a minute of silence he let out a shaky breath.
“I know I messed up. Dove,” he began, his voice laden with remorse. “But there are things you don’t know before judging me” he gulped in fear.
His shaky hand reached out for my face and he cupped it, looking deep inside my eyes.
“I don’t want to hear anything else Luciano.”
My hand lifted up and moved away his palm from my face. He blinked and I could see pain in his eyes. He just didn’t like it. But I don’t care. I am more hurt than him.
“I just want to know why you did that to me especially went I was so weak. Why you took the advantage of my situation? Why you publish that fake news? What was the purpose of forcing me into this marriage? What did you got by doing all this? Why? A loud sob escaped my throat.
“Because, because that was the only option left with me”
For the first time I have heard his voice breaking.
“Last option? Why? My voice was barely audible.
My breath hitched in my throat when I heard his next words.
“Because I love you, I always did!”
The silence that followed his words was deafening. My jaw dropped down, my eyes blinked up at him and my world stopped for a moment. I can’t believe what I heard.
The roaring of the clouds brought me out of my reverie and I asked the obvious question that came to my head, only to get even more stunned with his answer.
“From how many years
do you know me?” I asked.
“Eighteen!”
