CHAPTER 194: CHAPTER 194

At that moment Valentina squeezed her eyes shut, her body frozen at first, but then slowly, she lifted her arms and hugged him back.

Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring everything, she didn’t deserve this.

Not his forgiveness, not his warmth, not after how badly she had misjudged things.

And yet, he was here — holding her even when he had every right to push her away.

After a long moment, Raymond’s voice finally broke the heavy silence, It was low. Broken. Sad.

"I’m sorry..." he whispered, his words trembling against her hair.

"I’m so sorry, Valentina."

She stiffened slightly, confused, but he only tightened his hold around her.

"I’m sorry for what you went through," he murmured, his voice so soft it was almost lost in the air between them.

"I’m sorry I wasn’t there fast enough."

He pulled back just a little, just enough so he could cup her face gently in his hands.

His eyes — those deep, usually unreadable eyes — were filled with something she hadn’t seen for some time.

Guilt, Pain, Love.

"This won’t happen again," Raymond said firmly, his voice growing steadier even though the sadness lingered.

"I’ll make sure of it. No one will hurt you again... not while I’m breathing."

He brushed a tear that had escaped down her cheek with his thumb.

"It’s my fault," he added, almost bitterly.

"If I had been paying more attention, if I had been more careful... none of this would’ve happened."

At that moment Valentina shook her head frantically, wanting to say something — anything — to ease the guilt she saw written all over him.

But Raymond only pressed his forehead gently against hers, letting out a long, shaky breath.

"I promise you, Valentina," he whispered.

"I will never let anyone hurt you again."

Immediately, Valentina shook her head hard and pulled away just enough to look him in the eyes.

"No," she said firmly, her voice trembling, but filled with raw honesty.

"No, Raymond. Please... don’t apologize."

Again tears shimmered in her eyes as she grabbed his hands tightly, squeezing them against her chest as if trying to make him feel her heartbeat — to make him understand.

"I was the one who acted irrationally," she continued, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions.

"I was the one who was stupid. I didn’t even tell you where I was going... I didn’t even think."

She choked back a sob, shaking her head again.

"All of a sudden, I just called you... when it was already too late. When I was already in danger."

"I didn’t give you the chance to protect me. I didn’t trust you enough to share what I was doing."

At that moment in time the guilt that flooded her heart was almost unbearable, she dropped her forehead against their joined hands, her shoulders trembling.

"I’m so sorry for everything, Raymond. So, so sorry," she whispered brokenly.

"I promise... it will never happen again. Never."

Her words hung in the air, thick and heavy with regret.

Raymond’s heart twisted painfully at the sight of her blaming herself.

Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms again, even tighter than before, as if trying to hold her together when she was falling apart.

"No," he murmured, his voice low but strong.

"You’re not the only one at fault."

He leaned his head down, resting his chin lightly on top of hers.

"I should’ve protected you... I should’ve been watching more closely," he said, the anger he felt toward himself leaking into his words.

"I failed once before... and I swore I would never let it happen again."

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, his arms refusing to let go of her.

"I’m not going to fail you again, Valentina," he whispered fiercely.

"This time, no matter what it takes... I’ll protect you."

He pulled her even closer to him, as if the closer she was, the safer she would be.

"If anything happens to you..."

His voice caught, his chest tightening painfully.

"...I don’t even know if I could ever forgive myself."

At that moment, Valentina lifted her head slightly, frowning as she listened more closely to Raymond’s words.

However there was something... off, The way he was speaking — so emotional, so desperate, so certain — it didn’t feel like the words of someone who was only protecting a wife out of duty or affection.

"No."

It was deeper, It was rawer, It was almost like... like he had known her far longer than she could remember.

At that moment her brows furrowed, confusion flickering across her face.

Why did it sound like they shared some hidden past? Why did it feel like Raymond wasn’t just protecting her from now — but from something that had happened before? Something she couldn’t remember.

Her heart thudded heavily in her chest as she tried to piece the odd feelings swirling inside her.

Raymond felt so familiar, far too familiar, not just the way he touched her, but the way he spoke to her soul, as if he already knew all her scars — even the ones she hadn’t shown him.

She trusted him so easily, she leaned on him so naturally.

Even her body, her heart — they both seemed to recognize him, without needing a reason.

"But why?"

Why did it feel like her very existence was tied to him somehow? Valentina bit her lip, her mind racing, was there something she had forgotten?

Some memory buried too deep?

Or was she just imagining things?

She stared at Raymond, who was now holding her so tightly, so protectively, speaking words of promises that sounded more like lifelong oaths.

And for the first time, a strange unease settled in her chest.

It wasn’t fear, It wasn’t distrust, It was something else, Something heavy, Something that whispered to her that there were truths she didn’t yet know — but they were there, hidden, waiting to come out.

The more Raymond spoke, the more she felt it:

There was something between them, Something more than what she could see.

Something that didn’t quite make sense... but was real all the same.