Rhea didn’t realize the tears that slipped down her face, running down her own cheek. Never had she thought Valerie could face such cruelty from her own relative-someone she had once trusted.
Why do trusted people seem to hurt her? Even her only sister and her first love did, cheating on her on her birthday.
“Oh… Val,” Rhea whispered.
“I was nine.” Valerie’s jaw was gritted so hard that her teeth sent a signal of aching. “No one seems to believe me since there was no proof to support my claim, and I had spoken up too late,” Valerie whispered, her voice slightly heavy with emotion. “Nana wasn’t around. It was just my sister who tried to fight for me.”
“She tried to get to the root of the matter, wanting to run a test on me, but… the police never listened…”
Rhea’s jaw clenched. “They must be insane. How could they dismiss you like that? How could they turn their backs on a child?” she whispered, her voice trembling with anger and sorrow.
Valerie let out a bitter laugh, the sound devoid of humor. “That’s just how it was, Rhea. No one cared enough.” She paused, her voice growing quieter, more fragile. “He got away with it.”
Rhea couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. “That monster,” she hissed. “He doesn’t deserve to walk free, Val. You didn’t deserve any of that.”
Valerie sighed. “I know, but I never saw him again. He disappeared, and I had to lock everything up within me, having my sister promise never to bring it up again. She promised solace, and that was when we started getting close until…” She shrugged, her face deepening in sadness. “You know.”
Rhea shook her head, anger rising in her chest. “No. He needs to be caught and thrown in jail for it. Hell, they should cut off his head!”
“It’s not that easy, babe,” Valerie said, wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand.
“Then… I hope he is dead wherever he is. I hope he is rotting somewhere, regretting the fact that he did that to you!” Rhea felt like going crazy.
“He’s not,” Valerie whispered, her voice barely audible.
“What?”
“He’s not dead,” Valerie clarified.
Rhea’s brow furrowed. “How did you know?”
Valerie hesitated, her hands trembling slightly as she clenched them into fists. “Because I saw him,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
Rhea froze. “What do you mean you saw him? When? Where?”
Valerie’s gaze dropped to her lap. “He… he showed up at Nana’s funeral. At first, I thought I was imagining it. But then he called my name, Rhea. He smirked like… like he knew I wouldn’t do anything… then he left, as if he knew these thoughts would torment me like they are doing now.”
“And you didn’t tell me? You’ve been carrying this alone?”
“I didn’t know what to do!” Valerie snapped, her voice shaking. “What was I supposed to say? That the man who broke me is back and acting like nothing happened? I want to forget everything about it. I thought I did, but… when I saw him… I was reminded of every bit of it. I know he’s back for a purpose. He is dangerous, Rhea.”
Rhea bit her lip. “You should have told me, Val. You don’t have to face this alone. Not anymore.”
“I’m sorry,” Valerie whispered, and Rhea drew her close for a hug. Valerie buried her face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. “I just didn’t want to drag you into the mess. I was just…” She hugged Rhea tighter. “Unsettled.”
Valerie hardly showed her emotions to anyone, but Rhea had seen all of it.
“I’m sorry,” Valerie whispered again. “It won’t happen again.”
Rhea held her, stroking her hair soothingly. “We’ll figure this out together. I promise you, Val. If he tries to do something stupid, we’ll bring him down. You’re not that scared little girl anymore. He’ll pay for what he did.”
A small smile finally crept onto Valerie’s lips. “Thanks, babe. I love you.”
Rhea patted her back and whispered in response, “I love you too.”
*******
One look, and anyone could see the unmistakable happiness radiating from Morticia’s face and demeanor.
With a light bow, the workers greeted her.
They didn’t know about her wedding yet; they only knew she and Klaus were together.
Klaus hadn’t shown interest in any woman since his divorce, so some harbored doubts about their relationship.
Their marriage was a secret for now.
Of course, Morticia didn’t give a damn about the ranting… She simply loved her life with Klaus, knowing that sooner or later, they would shut up.
“Miss Morty!!!”
Morticia took a deep breath, not stopping her track. Without glancing back, she already knew who it was-Lisa, the drama queen who was now her assistant.
Right. After the project with Scarlett Holdings Company, Morticia was promoted to be the Executive Project Manager, overseeing not only internal projects but also high-profile collaborations with major clients.
H er promotion was well-earned, though some speculated it had more to do with her connection to Klaus Sinclair than her actual skills. Morticia, however, had proven time and time again that she was more than capable.
Lisa caught up to her, her heels clicking furiously against the polished floor. “Miss Morty! I’m so glad you’re back!”
“Me too,” Morticia replied, sarcasm lacing her voice. Clearly, she still wanted to spend more time with Klaus, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she missed her job.
“So how was it? The honeymoon?” Lisa asked teasingly, her file glued to her chest.
“You’d know when you marry Nolan,” Morticia replied as they entered the elevator.
Nolan was inside and seemed to have overheard Morticia’s last statement.
Heat crept onto Lisa’s cheeks, her heart racing.
“Good morning, Miss Morty. I’m glad you’ve finally returned from your… um, trip,” Nolan said, sounding slightly flustered. It seemed Morticia’s words had struck him too.
They entered the elevator, silence filling the space as each second passed by. Morticia knew she had caused the awkwardness.
Morticia cleared her throat. “Nolan, how are the interns coping?” she asked, changing the topic and clearing the awkward atmosphere.
“They are doing really well, Miss Morty,” Nolan replied, quickly shifting gears and sounding more like himself. “The new batch seems eager to learn. A few standouts are already making an impression. I believe you’ll be pleased with their progress.”
“Good,” Morticia said with a small smile. “I’ll take a look at their reports this afternoon. Schedule a meeting with them. I’d like to see their ideas firsthand.”
“Consider it done,” Nolan replied.
“That’s Miss Morty,” a voice whispered. Nova, who stood beside the girl, smirked. Secretly, she turned and left to make a call in a quiet place.
“Hello. She is back to work,” she whispered, her eyes darting frantically.
“What about Klaus?” a deep voice sounded from the other side.
“There’s no sign of him yet,” she said, her voice low. “I have no idea when he is going to return…”
The call ended before she could finish.
“Hello?” Nova frowned, and when she realized the call had ended, she hissed. “That bastard didn’t even allow me to ask for my balance. Fuck him,” she mumbled, then took a deep breath to calm her nerves before leaving the place.
*****
In a dimly lit room, Drake, who had just ended the call, released smoke from his lips and nostrils, his eyes gazing out over the city from his floor-to-ceiling window.
A smirk formed on his lips. “Time to get to work. Klaus will regret marrying that girl,” another thought struck his mind.
It was his niece he saw at his mother’s funeral. Valerie… she looked quite tough, and he wondered what she was up to.
It turned out Valerie was a friend of Klaus’s wife.
“Two birds with one stone…” Drake scoffed, his smirk growing wider.