CHAPTER 187: CHAPTER 187

At that moment Raymond leaned forward, his elbows resting heavily on the edge of the desk, his eyes narrowing at the cold, hard facts before him.

Luca is here again,In this timeline too.

The realization sent a sharp chill through his veins.

If history was any guide—if the past was any warning—then Valentina could very well die again the same way.

And this time, it would be his fault if he let it happen.

At that moment his hands tightened into fists, the anger rising inside him like a storm ready to break loose.

Without wasting a second, Raymond pulled up every detailed report Benjamin had compiled.

He combed through Luca’s movements, his mannerisms, his behavioral patterns from this life—and the past two as well.

Oddly enough, according to the records, Luca had never been aggressive.

Not once, In the past, he had been a quiet, soft-spoken boy.

Even now, in this timeline, he was the same—gentle, reserved, almost painfully obedient.

At that moment Raymond’s brows furrowed deeper.

’Then what is it? Could he be a quiet psycho? the kind that hides behind an innocent smile and strikes when no one expects it?’

The thought unsettled him more than he wanted to admit.

Just then, another memory tugged at the edge of his mind, sharp and unwelcome.

The red moon, It was coming again—seven days from now.

The cursed night when, once every century, his body would shut down, forcing him into a deep sleep for a full twenty-four hours.

He had never fully understood why it only affected him—why Benjamin and Cecilia remained untouched.

But he knew one thing for sure: during that window, he would be completely vulnerable. Powerless to protect Valentina.

Raymond leaned back, his jaw tight, his mind already calculating.

’When the red moon rises, he thought grimly, I won’t be able to move. I won’t even be able to wake up. Which meant that Benjamin and Cecilia would have to keep watch.’

Not just over him—but over Valentina too.

At that moment he closed his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to breathe slowly.

They’ll handle it, he assured himself.

They’ll do what needs to be done.

**

Maria paced restlessly across the marble floor of her living room, her heels clicking in uneven, frantic steps. Her hands wrung together, sweaty and trembling, while her mind raced faster than her body could keep up.

The memory of the phone call she had with Raymond played over and over in her head, like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.

Without anyone needing to tell her, Maria knew—knew deep in her bones—that Raymond had figured it out.

He knew she was the one behind the setup, there was no more hiding, no more pretending,

no more clever excuses.

And if Raymond knew...

Then Valentina would know too.

The realization struck her harder than any slap could.

Then Maria’s throat tightened as she moved to the window, peeking out through the blinds as if Raymond himself might be standing there, ready to tear her life apart.

At that moment she leaned heavily against the wall, her breathing shallow.

"Why did I even answer that call?

Why didn’t I just let it ring out?"

Her own stupidity burned hotter than any anger she could muster.

Everything—everything—was exposed now.

The carefully crafted lies, the secret moves behind the scenes, the betrayal she had woven so perfectly...all of it, undone.

Her last plan, her last desperate chance to crush Valentina.

Gone, shattered before her eyes.

Maria clutched her arms around herself, the weight of fear almost suffocating.

She thought about running—escaping before things got worse.

She had played through so many angles in her mind already.

Maybe she could leave the city, maybe she could deny everything,

maybe she could shift the blame onto Chloe.

Maybe... maybe... maybe...But deep down, she knew.

None of those plans would work, not this time.

Because this time, she wasn’t facing just Valentina.

She was facing Raymond, and she knew... this time, there would be no mercy.

At that moment the door creaked open and Chloe stepped inside, her face lit up with excitement, a stark contrast to the gloomy heaviness that filled the room.

Maria didn’t even lift her head at first; she just sat there, staring blankly at the floor, her mind tangled in knots of fear and regret.

But Chloe, oblivious to the tension, rushed forward, her voice high and cheerful.

"Mom!" she called out. "Guess what? Liam called me!"

Maria barely blinked, but Chloe continued, too excited to notice her mother’s deadpan expression.

"He said he wants to see me!" Chloe said, grinning. "The way he spoke... I could tell, he’s serious this time. Like, he really wants us to work things out. Maybe we can still go through with the marriage after all!"

For a moment, Maria said nothing, just letting Chloe’s words hang in the air like an awkward cloud.

Then, slowly, she raised her head, her eyes sharp and hollow at the same time.

She shook her head once, sharply.

"I’ve told you before," Maria said, her voice flat and cold.

"That fool doesn’t want you anymore."

Chloe’s smile faltered, confusion flashing across her face.

Maria pushed herself off the chair with a heavy breath, walking toward her daughter with slow, tired steps.

"What else are you trying to get from him?" Maria asked bitterly. "After everything that’s happened... after the disaster they’ve put ourselves into... what do you think he wants?"

She gave a dry, humorless chuckle.

"The only reason he wants to see you now is because he’s facing the consequences of our actions. He’s desperate. He doesn’t have any choice."

Maria’s voice grew sharper, harsher.

"So don’t go feeling special or thinking he still loves you. He’s just grabbing at whatever’s left."

Her words hit the room like a slap, heavy and unkind, but filled with a brutal honesty Chloe wasn’t ready to hear, but at the same time she was just too madly in love with Laim to even think about anything now.

definitely his family are going to come back even stronger, it wasn’t even a bigger suspension, just a year.