CHAPTER 52: THE DECREE

Befuddled, Valentina turned around, and began walking straight to the door as if in a trance.

"Get back here, Valentina!" Luciano barked.

She didn’t hear him. She couldn’t hear him. All she saw was bright light, and a contrast of the name ’Alvarez’ floating in dark colours.

"Now you want to leave? You don’t have questions to ask anymore?" He began marching towards her, as she walked towards the door.

Valentina’s heart raced. She needed to get out. Not just the room, but Neravalle, and even Aurivilla.

Italy had called, she had answered, but it was perhaps the worst response ever imagined.

"I said come back!" Luciano roared thunderously, hastening his strides to catch up with her.

Elio watched, confused on what to do. He couldn’t stop Luciano. It was a death sentence.

And sweeping Valentina off her feet had earned him a brain resetting slap followed by some strict warning.

All he could do was watch, and pray to God this didn’t end up lethal.

Valentina made it to the door, but just as her trembling hands grabbed the handle to pull open, Luciano’s larger hands covered hers.

Forcefully, he pulled, causing her to turn to him.

"You are not going anywhere. I haven’t dismissed you yet," he said in a cold voice.

Valentina shifted her gaze from him. She couldn’t look at him. It was too difficult.

"Look at me," he ordered.

She didn’t.

She looked everywhere, but at him.

"I said, look at me Valentina! The son of the man your father and your mother rendered miserable for a very long time. The child that had to raise his sister. But look at me now. I made it, didn’t I? I fucking made it!" His grip on her wrist tightened, causing a sting of pain to course through her.

"Let me go," her words were breathless, as invincible hands held her throat in a ransome.

"What did you say?" He leaned in. "Let you go?" He laughed in her face.

Valentina turned, and fully faced him with eyes that held hatred so raw, it burned through his anger, rattling his very foundation.

"You’re not the victim here, Luciano. Very far from it." Her voice, although barely audible, dropped with the venom of her disgust.

"Who is then? You? The one that survived all of this? Grew up in a castle protected by wealth and even the US government. Why? Do you know why, Valentina? I’ll tell you why. Because your father—"

She shook her head. "Don’t you dare–"

"Your father was a traitor to his own kind. He sold my father to the wolves all for wealth. He would have sold you too if it meant getting a quick cash grab. That was how rotten to the core Allen Wallace was!"

Valentina spat in his face. "Don’t you dare speak about my father like that!" She screamed violently.

"Val no," Elio muttered under his breath, his toes curling beneath him to stop himself from moving.

He was simply powerless against Luciano. All he could do was watch Luciano lift his other hand to wipe off her saliva on his face, grateful The Luce Nera was the kind of man that reserved physical violence for only men.

"Why? You don’t like to hear the truth because you are just as filthy as your no good father. Two sides of the same coin. Cowards, with traitorous blood. The lowest scums of the earth. Yes Valentina, you are your father’s daughter."

He let go of her hand, and turned his back on her, as he walked back to his seat.

Valentina opened the door immediately, and bolted out of it.

"Get her, and when you do, throw her in LaNotte. She doesn’t deserve any privileges Neravalle has to offer," he ordered Elio behind his shoulders.

"Luce—"

"Now!" His growl blasted through the roof with a force that sent Elio running out to do his bidding.

Luciano turned when he heard the door close, and plopped on his seat, but his eyes still held rage that was yet to be satiated.

***

"Let me go, Vittorio! What is wrong with you?!" Aurora, who had just been placed on her bed, jumped to her feet, and lunged for the door.

Vittorio caught her, and flung her back to the bed.

He marched to the door right after. "You need to calm down," he said as he locked the door with its key.

"No, I don’t need to calm down. What I need to do is get that bitch and teach her a lesson she will never forget. Heck I want to kill her. That’s what she deserves!" She grabbed her pillow, and threw it forcefully to the ground.

"And what’s that going to change? You’ll feel better for a moment, then what? Will it bring your parents back?"

"No, but it will be the perfect justice."

"That is why you’re a child. You can’t see past your immediate impulses."

She rose to her feet, and stormed towards him. "I’m not a child, Vittorio, in case you haven’t noticed. I’m a grown woman. You will not baby me!"

"Then act like one!" He stepped out of character, and screamed in her face.

"You asked for it." Stepping on her toes, she kissed him.

Vittorio froze.

Never had he expected Aurora, his best friend’s younger sister to kiss him.

Their relationship was strictly a family kind of relationship. Heck, he considered the little girl as his sister.

But she was right. Aurora De Luca was no girl anymore. This was a woman, and she was crossing the most abominable line.

"Stop it," he pushed her away gently. "Stop it Aurora!" His voice was firmer the second time.

"Why? You wanted me to calm down, right? Well this is the only way I can calm down. It’s either this, or you let me out so I can yank that puttana’s hair off her head."

"First of all," he lifted a finger. "Valentina is not a whore. "Secondly, you are not going anywhere. You are not leaving this room. And lastly, you can’t kiss me. That is inappropriate."

"Is it?" She laughed wickedly, as her hands dropped to her waist. "But I’m guessing if sweetie pie Natalia decides to kiss you, you’ll be all for it, wouldn’t you?"

His brow joined together as he stared at her through narrow eyes. "What are you talking about?"

She snickered. "Don’t play with my intelligence. I’ve seen the way you look at her, and you don’t even look at anybody!"

"We’re done with this conversation." He turned the keys, and opened the door.

"No we’re not. We are going to talk about your obvious–"

He slammed the door shut, cutting off her words. Next thing she heard was the sound of keys clinking.

"You did not just lock me in, Vitto. Open the door!" Her screams echoed loudly, as her hands began to bang furiously on the door.

"When you’ve decided to behave, I will open the door. As for now, enjoy your time alone with your thoughts."

She heard his footsteps fade, and her agitation grew.

"No way! You can’t leave me here. Open the damn door! I’ll have my brother have your head!" She threatened with a loud scream that echoed round every corner of Neravalle.