Valentina pov
“I said, let go of her.”
This time, the older man holding my wrist actually frowned but, after a brief hesitation, released his grip. Almost instantly, I took a step back, rubbing my wrist-not because of the bruise, but because his touch made my skin crawl.
It disgusted me.
“Luca, what are you doing here?” The man turned his attention to him, forcing a smile. “The ceremony should be starting soon. Shouldn’t you be with your bride-to-be?”
Even though I didn’t know this man, one thing was clear, he was furious. His forced smile couldn’t hide the way his hands clenched into fists, knuckles white with restrained anger.
Luca didn’t respond. His expression remained unreadable, but the tension in his jaw, the way his shoulders stiffened, made it obvious that he was barely holding himself back.
I felt so out of place.
How the hell had things escalated to this?
I shouldn’t have wandered off. I shouldn’t have walked into this room.
God, why do I always manage to get myself into trouble?
“I should be asking you that, Mr. Vance. What are you doing here with her? It looked like you were holding her against her will just a moment ago,” Luca finally spoke, stepping into the small room. Almost immediately, his tall frame dominated the space, towering over the older man.
But then again, the older man might be shorter compared to Luca but he had an air of authority that Luca couldn’t really match. The only name that flashed across my mind that could match him aura was Alexander.
The older man didn’t so much as flinch under Luca’s piercing stare. Instead, his smile widened- a practiced, calculated expression. He shook his head before shifting his gaze to me, his sharp eyes locking onto mine, making me instinctively straighten.
“You must be mistaken,” he said smoothly. “This is my late daughter’s room, and I simply found Mrs. Emily here. I was just telling her to leave, wasn’t I?”
Eh, that wasn’t what happened…
But before I could stop myself, I nodded in response.
“I- yes, he’s right. I was looking for the restroom and ended up here by accident. I’m sorry,” I said quickly.
Luca’s frown deepened at my words, but the older man looked pleased.
Luca opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, another man walked in, bowing respectfully before leaning in to whisper something into the older man’s ear. Whatever was said made his expression shift instantly and his eyes darkened, his jaw tightening as he snapped his gaze toward the newcomer.
The man kept his head bowed, visibly cowering under the weight of his glare.
“Forgive me, boss,” he murmured.
The older man’s frown deepened, but he said nothing at first. Then, he turned to Luca, this time without the forced smile. His voice was clipped and direct.
“The ceremony will now take place an hour later than planned. I have something to take care of. I’ll inform your father and the guests myself. Just make sure not to go anywhere.”
Luca didn’t say a word. He simply scoffed, watching the older man with an expressionless gaze.
The man, seemingly accustomed to this, didn’t react. Instead, he turned on his heel to leave. But just before stepping out, he paused.
Slowly, he turned back, his cold gaze locking onto mine.
A shiver ran down my spine as an unmistakable wave of killing intent crashed over me. It was suffocating, chilling me to my core.
And then, without another word, he turned away and walked out of the room, the stranger trailing closely behind him.
As soon as he left, I let out a deep breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My legs buckled, and I staggered, nearly collapsing to the ground. But before I could hit the cold floor, a strong arm wrapped around my waist, holding me in place and pulling me flush against a solid body.
My eyes fluttered closed, and I instinctively leaned into the warmth, trying to steady my breathing.
“Are… you okay?”
I froze at the hesitant voice. Raising my head, I met the gaze of the man I was currently hugging, and for a brief moment, I was frozen-mesmerized by his eyes.
I didn’t know why, but the way he looked at me made my heart pound against my chest.
It was a look of longing and… love?
Maybe everything that had happened this night was making me think irrationally.
“I’m fine,” I said with a small smile, placing a hand on his chest to gently create some space between us. He frowned but let go of my waist, stepping back without a word.
I met his gaze, a flicker of confusion crossing my mind. I had seen him before. I was sure of it but I couldn’t quite place where. Shaking off the thought, I offered him a polite nod.
“Thank you for helping me.”
I wasn’t sure if I was thanking him for the fall or the man from earlier. Either way, I was grateful.
However, the man remained silent, his gaze fixed on me, and at this point, his intense stare was starting to make me uneasy.
I parted my lips to speak, but Luca beat me to it, his voice chillingly cold.
“Are you really going to pretend you don’t know me, Emily?” he said, his voice laced with frustration. I raised a brow in confusion.
Huh? He knew me?
“Even if we agreed never to speak again, we still have a history. I didn’t expect you to ignore me like this.”
History?!
Luca’s gaze bore into me, searching for any sign of recognition, but I could only stare back, utterly lost.
I had no idea what he was talking about.
Or who he was.
“I”
“God!” Luca suddenly yelled, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. I instinctively took a step back, only for him to close the distance between us.
“Will you stop that? Stop looking at me like you don’t know me. Stop moving away from me.” His voice trembled with emotion as he inched even closer. “Why are you acting this way? Are you really going to throw everything we had away, just like that? Like it meant nothing?!”
His words hit like a punch, and before I knew it, my back was pressed against the wall, trapped between him.
My body trembled, and I couldn’t help but curse my luck. Why was everyone acting like this today?
First the older man… and now him?
I didn’t remember anyone.
“Emily,” Luca called out, and I froze as he reached out, lifting my chin with his fingers, forcing me to meet his gaze.
A shiver ran down my spine as those piercing eyes bore into mine again.
“Emily… talk to me. Stop acting like you don’t remember me. I can’t I ask this?” His voice held a desperate edge.
I swallowed nervously, my lips parting to tell him the truth-that I didn’t know him, that I had lost my memory. But just as the words were about to leave my mouth, something clicked.
My breath hitched. My eyes widened. Then, a wide smile stretched across my face.
I remembered him.
“I remember you!” I gasped, laughing in triumph, proud of myself.
Luca stiffened, momentarily frozen as he stared at me in shock.
“I remember you! You’re the guy from that club, right? The one who saved me?”
His expression instantly shifted, confusion flashing across his face.
“What?”