Valentina
“Where would I even go?”
The rain poured down relentlessly, drenching me as I stepped outside the estate gates, but I didn’t care.
I was getting away from Matteo, from his estate, from Caterina and all her rules.
Each drop of the rain pelted my skin like tiny needles, a reminder that the world would never be fair to me, no matter what.
“At this point, I can hardly think.” I muttered to myself as I stepped onto the gravel path, the darkness pressing in around me.
I walked faster, driven by a need to escape the weight of it all.
“Don’t let me find you in my wing without being called again, or you’ll discover there are limits to my kindness.” Matteo’s cold words echoed in my mind, his commanding presence looming over everything like a storm swirling above me.
I knew this path was unfamiliar, and I didn’t care. I just needed to be far from him as best as I could. The further I went, the more the estate disappeared behind the trees, and soon I realized I had where I was anymore.
But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.
The downpour blurred my vision, making it hard to see the twists and turns of the path. My steps slowed, my feet slipping on the slick gravel beneath them. The towering trees stretched above me, their branches like dark claws scratching at the sky.
As much as I wanted to keep on going, to lose myself in the storm until it swept me away. But with the cold seeping in, and my heart pounding harder with each passing moment, a knot of fear tightening in my chest. I hugged my drenched coat tighter around me, my breathing shallow as I glanced around, trying to recognize something – anything – that would serves as a shelter from the pouring rain.
Maybe I should have plotted my escape on a day where it wasn’t raining madly.
But I would never admit defeat to Matteo or he would never think of me as someone who was strong enough to make her own decisions. The rain had soaked into my clothes, chilling me to the bone, and I could feel my legs growing weaker with every step. Still, I pressed on, head down, until a voice broke through the chaos of the storm.
“Miss?”
I froze, my heart skipping a beat. The voice was deep, unfamiliar, yet it held a note of recognition. I turned slowly, my eyes searching through the rain for the source. A figure stood a few feet ahead, half hidden in the shadows of the trees, his hood pulled low over his face.
“You’re Valentina, aren’t you?” the man asked, stepping closer. His tone was cautious but curious, as though he was trying to place me.
I took a step back instinctively, my heart racing. “Who are you?” I demanded, my voice trembling despite my effort to sound strong.
The man hesitated, lifting his head slightly so that I could see his face beneath the hood. He was young, maybe a little older than me, with sharp features and eyes that flickered with recognition. “I knew your sister,” he said, his voice lowering. “Isabella.”
At the mention of her name, my heart clenched. My sister was the only way to keep me from bolting away from this stranger in front of me. She was also the reason I was in this mess. And now, there was someone who seemed to know more than I did.
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice barely audible over the rain. The man took another step forward, his eyes locking on mine.
“I’ve been looking for her,” he said, his expression serious. “She disappeared without a trace, but I think you might know something. You’re her sister. You must-”
“Stay away from her.”
The voice came from behind me, familiar and commanding. I turned around to find Matteo standing just a few feet away, his dark coat billowing in the wind. His face was a mask of cold fury, his eyes fixed on the man in front of me.
Always the one to stop any conversation that would lead to me finding my sister.
The stranger stiffened, his gaze shifting from me to Matteo. There was a brief moment of tension, a silent exchange between the two men, and then the stranger took a step back, raising his hands in surrender.
“I didn’t mean any harm,” the man said, his voice steady but cautious. “I was just trying to help.”
Matteo’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “She doesn’t need your help.”
The stranger hesitated for a moment, then turned and disappeared into the darkness of the woods, leaving me alone with Matteo. The rain continued to fall, the sound of it echoing in the silence that followed. My breath came in short gasps as I stared at Matteo, my heart pounding in my chest.
“You always ruin everything.” I snapped at him, annoyed about the whole situation.
“What are you doing out here?” he demanded, his voice harsh. Ignoring what I just said.
“I needed to get out,” I replied, my voice shaking as I wiped the rain from my face. “I couldn’t breathe in there.”
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might snap at me. But instead, he stepped closer, his eyes softening ever so slightly as he looked at me. “You can’t just wander off like this,” he said, his tone still firm but less angry. “It’s dangerous.”
“I’m not a prisoner,” I shot back, my frustration bubbling over. “You can’t control me, Matteo.”
A flicker of something-anger, frustration, maybe even guilt-crossed his face, but he quickly masked it. “I’m not trying to control you,” he said, his voice lowering. “But you’re my responsibility now. And I won’t let anything happen to you.”
His words caught me off guard, and I felt a strange mix of emotions welling up inside me. I wanted to hate him, to push him away, but there was something in the way he looked at me-something that made my heart race for an entirely different reason.
“Matteo, I-” I started to say, but the words caught in my throat as he reached out and brushed a strand of wet hair from my face.
“You’re soaked,” he muttered, his fingers lingering for a moment longer than necessary.
My breath hitched as his touch sent a shiver down my spine. Despite the cold, despite the storm, my body felt suddenly warm. I didn’t know what to say, how to respond to the strange tension building between us.
Before I could think, before I could stop myself, I leaned in just a fraction. And that was all it took. Matteo closed the distance between us, his lips crashing against mine with an intensity that took my breath away.
The kiss was fierce, full of pent-up anger, frustration, and something else-something neither of us wanted to admit. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer, and for a moment, I forgot everything. I forgot the cold, the rain, the fact that I hated this man who had taken over my life. All that mattered was the heat of his mouth on mine, the way his body pressed against me as though he couldn’t bear to let go.
When we finally broke apart, I was breathless, my heart racing. Matteo’s eyes burned into mine, his hand still resting on my waist.
“We should go back,” he said quietly, his voice rough with emotion.
I nodded, unable to find my voice. My mind was still spinning from the kiss, from the way he made me feel-conflicted, confused, but undeniably drawn to him. He didn’t say anything else as he took my hand and led me back through the rain, the silence between us heavy with unspoken words.
By the time we reached the estate, the storm had lessened, but the tension between us remained. As we stepped inside, Matteo stopped and turned to face me, his eyes searching mine.
“Valentina,” he began, his voice low, “I know this isn’t what you wanted. But we’re in this together now.”
I looked up at him, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn’t know what to say, howf to process everything that had just happened. All I knew was that I couldn’t escape this. Not anymore.
“I know,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
He gave me one last look, something dark and unreadable in his gaze, before turning and walking away, leaving me standing alone in the dimly lit hallway, the weight of our kiss lingering on my lips.
Was this me going back on the one rule I had in my arsenal? Do not fall in love with the man that was, and still is in love with your sister.