CHAPTER 51: TO LIGHT

"What did you just say?" Aurora slowly rose to her feet, the vanity of staring at her nails long forgotten.

"You heard me," Valentina said. "I’m Valentina Quinn Wallace."

Aurora chortled dryly. "Wallace huh? That’s a very rare surname even in the States. A Wallace once had a historical connection to Italy. Surely you can’t be–" her gaze moved to Luciano, and when she saw the look in his eyes, everything clicked in her head. "Bitch!"

Aurora lunged for her immediately, but Vittorio, reading that reaction, hurriedly moved forward to intercept her.

"Let me go!" She screamed, as Vittorio restrained her.

Natalia used that distraction to run to Valentina’s side. "What is happening Val? Why is she reacting in such a way towards you?" She held on to Valentina, as her body trembled.

A thought began to form in Valentina’s head, but it was too heavy to dwell on.

It was simply impossible. That absolutely could not be the case.

"Let me go Vittorio! Tell him to let me go Luciano! I must deal with this bitch! How is she alive? She’s supposed to be dead! This is witchcraft, and I must burn the witch!" Her legs kicked in the air, as Vittorio carried her towards the door.

"This isn’t over," she screamed behind her shoulders. "Except you leave Neravalle, and even if you do, I will hunt you down and won’t rest until you are dead! Do you understand me, Valentina Wallace?!"

Her voice echoed in the room, long after she was dragged far away from it.

Elio’s heart resumed its thumping speed. Now that both Vittorio and Salvatore were out of the room, it was up to him to keep Valentina safe from the wrath of the boss.

He wasn’t sure how to do that, or if it was even possible to do.

Silence descended in the wake of Aurora’s exit.

In that silence, Valentina tried to make sense of everything.

The only logical conclusion she could draw was that they had heard about her father, hence their reaction.

Yet, there was a small part of her that wondered why they would have such a heavy reaction to her last name, if they didn’t even directly know her father.

Luciano who had his head down as he fought for control of his emotions especially after seeing his sister crash out like that, slowly lifted his head.

"Take Natalia and the driver out," he ordered.

The guards knew the order was for them, and quickly set to work.

"No, I can’t leave you Val. I don’t know what he’ll do to you. I’m scared for you!" Natalia resisted as one of the guards approached.

Valentina held Natalia firmly. "Listen to me. It’s okay. I’ll be fine. As long as I know you’re safe, both you and Jackson, I’m truly fine. Don’t bother about me truly. Just trust me, okay? At least now you can be reunited with your father." Valentina’s eyes watered, but she sniffled away the tears.

"No Val!" Natalia screamed as the guards grabbed her.

"Please handle her carefully. She’s not a freaking object!" She yelled at the guards, who blatantly ignored her, as they led a screaming Natalia away.

Finally, it was just Luciano, Elio and Valentina left in the room.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, looking at Luciano.

He chuckled, but it was devoid of humour. "Hear that agnello? Why am I doing this?

She asks."

"Yes, I want to know." Valentina slowly began to walk towards him.

"Val no," Elio called to her.

"Listen to him, and do not take another step closer to me."

Valentina simply did not listen. There had to still be a glimpse of the man that had gone against all moral codes and kissed her.

It was impossible that the man who held her through a storm was gone.

Valentina didn’t stop walking until she was fully before Luciano.

Her scent hit him straight in his heart, and he almost gave up the thought of revenge in that moment.

"Your stubbornness will end you faster than anything will." He relied on threats, because his flesh had gotten too weak due to how close she was.

"Then let it end me. But first, you must tell me what I have done. What Natalia too has done to make you so mad. You’ve made me confess the truth of my identity. My identity which is supposed to be hidden because of the controversy surrounding it. Now it’s your turn to be honest." She held his gaze with her desperate ones.

"I don’t owe you anything Valentina Wallace."

"It is Valentina Quinn now. The other name died twenty years ago."

"You couldn’t have been more than four years old."

Her head doubled back. "How do you know that?"

He waved a dismissive hand. "Let’s not pretend you don’t know how popular your father is or was. Isn’t that why there was no fear in your eyes being on Mafia grounds? You have knowledge of this life."

She bobbed her head. "Okay–alright. For the sake of this conversation, let’s say you’re right. Let’s say I’m already used to mafia’s. What does that have to do with you? What is my family’s business with you? And why is your sister so angry at me?---" she paused, and stared into his eyes. "You too," she added in a soft voice. "You’ve never looked at me this way before. You’re distant. Why?"

Luciano’s heart began to race. She was going to be the death of him.

It was pretty much confirmed in his heart now.

Valentina was no ordinary woman, and one could not even dream of dealing with her ordinarily.

The flesh was too weak to go against a woman like her, who with one look, just one look could bring a man down on his knees.

But in the midst of his thoughts about how she was the greatest temptress the world had ever known, he saw the moment his mother shot herself.

He saw the image of her lying in a pool of her own blood.

He saw his father being chained like a dog, and paraded as an infame all through the seven Mafia districts.

And all of that happened because of two people.

Allen Wallace and Bianca Barone. The parents of the woman who was now standing in front of him.

His heart instantly hardened bitterly, and the darkness in his gaze prevailed.

Valentina sensed the moment she lost him again, and instinctively, took a step back to create some distance between them.

"Your father is Allen Wallace, correct?"

"Co-corect," she stuttered.

"His wife was Bianca Barone, correct?"

Her heart jabbed at the mention of her dear mother’s maiden name. "Yes," she replied.

"And twenty years ago, a man came to visit them. Matteo Alvarez."

A shudder ran through Valentina. "That murderer." Her voice came out sharp, cutting right into Luciano’s heart.

Luciano stood to his full height, which towered above both men and pillars alike.

"That murderer as you call him–" his head slowly lowered, and leaned into her face. His gaze, cutthroat. "Is my father. I’m Luciano De Luca Alvarez."

The weight of those words hit Valentina like a raging storm, leaving her completely paralyzed for a moment there.