CHAPTER 186: CHAPTER 186

She placed the pill into Valentina’s hand with a tender smile.

"It will help you rest properly," Cecilia continued. "It will soothe your body, strengthen your spirit, and help you recover in no time."

Valentina hesitated for only a second before trusting her completely.

Without wasting any more time, she placed the pill on her tongue and swallowed with a sip of water from the glass by her bedside.

The effect was almost immediate.

A warm, calming sensation spread through her body, starting from her chest and moving outward.

Her muscles loosened.

The pounding behind her eyes eased.

Even the lingering weakness from the drugs seemed to melt away little by little.

At that moment Valentina’s lips parted in astonishment as she sat up a little straighter.

"Mother..."she said softly, her voice filled with wonder. "It’s working... I can feel it working already. It’s incredible."

She looked down at her hands, marveling at how the trembling had almost completely stopped.

"This must be something very expensive," Valentina added, looking up at Cecilia with deep gratitude in her eyes. "To work this fast... it must be priceless."

Cecilia chuckled lightly and sat back down beside her.

"Yes," she said warmly, "it is very expensive. But it’s not something that’s sold to the public."

She leaned closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing a family secret.

"It’s only reserved for those of us in the family. It’s meant to protect the ones we cherish and heal the body."

Valentina felt her heart swell at the words.

Sitting there, feeling stronger with each passing second, she realized just how deeply Raymond’s family had embraced her.

They hadn’t just accepted her—they were doing everything in their power to protect her, to heal her, to make sure she was safe.

And for the first time in a very long time, Valentina felt truly happy.

After everything was packed and settled, Valentina and Cecilia finally made their way out of the hospital. The sun was brighter outside, the fresh air filling Valentina’s lungs in a way that made her feel more alive than she had in days.

As they approached the waiting car, Valentina’s phone buzzed in her bag.

She paused, pulling it out slowly.

The screen lit up with a name she hadn’t expected—Luca.

For a moment, she froze, hesitation clouding her heart.

The memory of Maria’s betrayal was still fresh, a wound that hadn’t even begun to heal.

She didn’t want to pick up.

She didn’t want to hear anything connected to that family right now.

But then, another thought crossed her mind.

Luca... he’s just a child.

He’s innocent. He doesn’t know about any of this.

And she remembered—They had made plans to hang out tomorrow.

She couldn’t bear to disappoint him. Not after everything he had been through. Not after the way his soft voice had lit up with excitement when they planned it.

With a soft sigh, Valentina swiped to answer the call and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hello, Luca," she said, her voice gentle.

On the other end, Luca’s cheerful voice came through, bright and full of energy.

"Sister Valentina!" he exclaimed happily. "I just called to remind you... it’s tomorrow! Our day out!"

Valentina smiled in spite of herself, the weight on her chest easing just a little.

"You didn’t forget, right?" Luca continued eagerly, his voice rising a little with nervousness. "You promised!"

Valentina kept the phone pressed to her ear, her voice soft but steady as she answered Luca.

"No, Luca," she said with a small smile. "I haven’t forgotten. Not at all."

he leaned lightly against the car door, her eyes distant but warm.

"I’m going to do everything possible to make sure we spend time together tomorrow," she promised him. "You don’t have to worry. Tomorrow is our day."

On the other end of the line, Luca let out a small, joyful laugh.

"Thank you, Sister Valentina!" he said excitedly. "Thank you for keeping your promise! I can’t wait! I’m so happy!"

Valentina’s heart softened at the sound. She closed her eyes briefly, letting the moment settle inside her.

It was clear now—Luca had no idea about what had just happened.

No idea about the trap Maria had set.

No idea about the pain Valentina had just endured because of his mother.

And standing there, feeling the weight of it all, Valentina made a silent decision.

I’m not going to punish him for Maria’s sins.

He’s just an innocent boy caught between the wrong people.

She let out a slow breath and smiled again into the phone.

But even as she forgave Luca in her heart, a darker, colder promise settled inside her chest—as long as Maria and Chloe were involved, she wasn’t going to let them get away.

She was going to deal with them.

Mercilessly.

The call with Luca ended, and Valentina tucked her phone away, determined to keep her promise to the boy tomorrow.

Meanwhile, across the city, Raymond sat alone in his private study, the soft glow of the desk lamp casting sharp shadows across his face.

His sharp eyes were fixed on the screen in front of him, scrolling through the files Benjamin had sent.

Luca’s information.

Raymond leaned back slightly, his hand drumming absently against the wooden armrest as his mind pieced the patterns together.

Twice, twice in the past, Luca had been a part of Valentina’s life.

And both times, she had died.

It wasn’t the kind of death that screamed violence or betrayal.

It was quiet, she had simply gone to sleep... and never woken up.

Even when Raymond had tried to save her—tried to turn her into a vampire in desperation—it hadn’t worked.

She had slipped away from him, and he had been forced to bury her memory deep inside the darkness of his heart.

Now, staring at the records, the suspicion gnawed at him harder than ever.

Could it have been poison?

Was it something slow, silent, undetectable?

At that moment he clenched his jaw, frustrated at himself for never questioning it more back then.

For simply accepting her death.

For letting the pain of losing her blind him to the possibility that it had been been someone that killed her, or maybe poison.

And the common thread... was Luca.

Twice that boy appeared.

Twice Valentina died without warning.

Raymond’s fingers tightened into a fist, his knuckles whitening as he stared coldly at the screen.