Chapter 14
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Isabella was finished.
Her name dragged through the filth, her reputation burned to ash. Every article, every headline, every whisper in the underworld spoke of her deceit, her downfall.
Lorenzo made sure of it.
He threw her out like garbage, not even allowing her to take a final look at the life she once had. She screamed, she cried, she begged–none of it mattered.
But as the guards tossed her onto the street, broken and humiliated, she lifted her tear–streaked face and spat out the only thing she had left: the truth.
“She’s lying to you,” Isabella choked out, her voice shaking. “Victoria Moretti doesn’t exist. She’s Valeria. Valeria De Luca. Your ex wife whom you thought dead!”
Lorenzo stilled.
I watched from the shadows, hidden in the upper halls of the estate, as his entire body locked up.
A deep silence followed, his fingers twitching at his sides.
Then, without a word, he turned and walked away.
Straight to his office.
Straight to the bottle.
He paid someone to investigate me that same night.
I let him.
I didn’t hide. I wanted him to know.
And when the truth finally reached him–when the name Valeria De Luca stared back at him from every file, every report, every document he never thought to question–he broke.
The glass shattered before I even saw him move.
My penthouse door slammed open, and the next thing I knew, Lorenzo was inside, destroying everything in his path.
A vase exploded against the wall. A chair splintered beneath his boot. My wine collection crashed to the floor in a cascade of red and glass.
He Let Our Daughter Die for His Ex’s Child!..
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12:31 Sun, 2 Mar
And then-
His hands were on me.
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He pinned me against the wall, his grip bruising, his breath hot with whiskey and rage.
“You played me.” His voice was raw, his dark eyes blazing with fury. “You used me, manipulated me–lied to me!”
I smirked. “I did.”
His fingers tightened around my throat, just enough to make me feel it. Enough to show me he was one second away from breaking.
“Why?” His voice was lower now, more desperate. More dangerous.
I leaned in, my lips barely brushing his as I whispered, “Because I wanted to see you suffer.”
His entire body tensed.
And then, suddenly-
His grip loosened.
His breathing turned ragged, his forehead dropping against mine, his hands trembling against my skin.
His rage melted into something else. Something darker. Something obsessive.
He didn’t want to kill me.
He wanted to own me.
“You drive me insane,” he muttered, his voice hoarse. “You make me want to destroy everything, including myself.”
I laughed softly. “And yet, here you are. Still wanting me.”
His hands slid down, gripping my waist, pulling me closer, his hunger undeniable.
But I shoved him back.
Hard.
He stumbled, chest heaving, eyes wild.
I tilted my head, watching him with cold amusement. “Pathetic.”
Something cracked inside him. His jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists. But he didn’t lunge at me. He didn’t lash out.
Chapter 14
3/4 68.8%
12:32 Sun, 2 Mar
He ignored my words. Instead, he dropped to his knees.
I froze.
His hands gripped my waist, his forehead pressing against my stomach, his body trembling as he whispered, “I love you.”
My fingers tightened around my glass.
His voice cracked. “Since the day I received the news that you burned in that accident… my world shattered.” He inhaled sharply, his hold on me tightening like he was afraid I’d disappear. “Every breath felt empty. Every day felt meaningless.”
I stayed silent.
He lifted his head, his dark, tormented eyes locking onto mine. “I missed you, Valeria. Every second, every moment, I missed you.”
A bitter smile curled at my lips. “Funny,” I murmured. “You didn’t miss me when you replaced me with Isabella.”
He flinched. “I didn’t know it was you. If I had-”
“If you had,” I cut in coldly, “you would have done the same thing. Because you’re weak, Lorenzo. You don’t love me. You love the idea of me.”
“No.” His voice broke, his hands gripping me like a lifeline. “I love you. I always have.” His fingers trembled as they traced my waist. “I’m sorry. For everything. For not seeing you. For not knowing.”
For choosing Isabella. For letting Amara die.
He didn’t say it. But we both knew.
“I can’t take it back,” he whispered. “But tell me how to fix this. Tell me how to make you mine again.”
I exhaled slowly, setting my glass down. Then, with deliberate movements,
I leaned down, my fingers tilting his chin up.
His lips parted slightly, his breath uneven as I studied him.
This man–this powerful, untouchable mafia king–was on his knees before me. Begging..
Bleeding.
And yet… it still wasn’t enough.
I leaned closer, my lips grazing his ear as I whispered, “You can’t.”
He sucked in a sharp breath.
Chapter 14
12:32 Sun, 2 Mar
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Then, with a soft laugh, I ran my fingers through his hair–once, softly— before shoving him back.
He landed hard, palms bracing against the marble floor.
I straightened, looking down at him with amusement. “Pathetic.”
His jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists. But he didn’t move. He just sat there, eyes burning with something between devotion and destruction.
He would never let me go.
He would destroy anyone who tried to take me.
Even if it meant burning the entire underworld to the ground.
“Get away from her, Lorenzo.”
Darius.
He stood in the doorway, calm but deadly, his gaze locked onto Lorenzo with quiet warning.
Lorenzo didn’t move. Didn’t let go of me.
Darius sighed. “I warned you before. Valeria is mine to protect.”
Lorenzo’s jaw tightened, his possessiveness flashing dangerously in his eyes. “She belongs to no one.”
Darius stepped forward. “Then stay the hell away from her.”
Lorenzo laughed, low and humorless.
And then he stood, his entire demeanor shifting. The desperation was gone. The guilt was gone.
Only obsession remained.
“Make me,” he said, voice dripping with challenge.
Darius exhaled slowly, his fingers twitching toward his gun. “You really want to do this?”
Lorenzo smirked, dark and unhinged. “I already did.”
And just like that-
The underworld was at war.
Chapter 14
