Without another word, Damien stood up from his seat, the weight of his decision simring in every step. His face no longer wore anger it wore certainty. Cold, sharp certainty. He walked out of the room like a man who had just signed soone’s fate and was already preparing to attend their burial.
The door shut behind him with a quiet, final click.
**
It was the next day, and the morning light spilled gently across the quiet driveway as Raymond and Valentina stepped out of the house, both dressed neatly, the mood between them calm but quietly watchful. Raymond, sharp in a crisp shirt and tailored trousers, wore his usual guarded expression, while Valentina dressed in soft cream and gold seed lighter today. The anxiety from the hospital and her apology had been replaced by a kind of cautious peace.
Today wasn’t about business, It wasn’t about revenge, It was just... a promise.
They were going out to et Luca.
Raymond hadn’t said much that morning. His eyes did all the talking. He hadn’t let his guard down for even a second since she ntioned the boy.
And now, as the car pulled to a smooth stop in front of the park entrance where they were to et, Raymond’s gaze remained focused still, observant, unreadable.
Luca was already there, he sat on a small bench under a blooming tree, his legs bouncing as if barely able to contain his excitent. A juice box was in his hand, and he kept glancing around as though searching for soone.
And then—he saw her.
The mont Valentina stepped out of the car, Luca sprang up like a spark of light, rushing forward with a boyish grin stretching ear to ear.
He didn’t even glance at Raymond.
"Valentina!" he bead, flinging his arms around her waist.
At that mont Valentina laughed gently, slightly startled but quickly relaxing. She cupped his cheek affectionately, brushing back a stray lock of hair.
"Luca," she said softly, smiling down at him, "I hope everything is okay. Are you happy?"
Without wasting anymore ti he nodded enthusiastically, still clinging to her arm like a child who’d been waiting for this mont forever.
"Extrely happy," he said. His voice cracked with pure joy. "You’re here. You’re really here!"
Then he stepped back slightly, holding her hands in his, and just stared at her, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Wow..." he muttered. "How did you do it?"
Valentina blinked. "Do what?"
"All of it," Luca whispered, his tone filled with innocent awe. "Your face... your eyes... your smile... it’s like all the sadness just cleared up. You look like soone else now."
At that mont he gave a soft, almost breathless laugh.
"How did you do that, Valentina?"
Luca couldn’t take his eyes off her.
He stood there frozen for a mont, his young face filled with awe and pure disbelief. It wasn’t just excitent anymore it was the kind of wide-eyed wonder only a child who had seen sothing magical could carry.
Valentina blinked, a soft smile forming as she tilted her head curiously.
"You look like you’ve seen a ghost," she teased gently.
"I just..." Luca whispered, still not letting go of her hands. "This is the first ti I’m seeing you... since..."
His voice trailed off, but his eyes said the rest, It hit Valentina all at once.
She looked down at her smooth skin, her glowing complexion, the absence of the scars she had once tried so hard to hide from the world. The dresses she never thought she could wear. The peace she never thought she’d feel again.
A quiet realization passed through her.
"You’ve not seen since I got married," she said softly.
Luca nodded, Valentina gave a short, surprised laugh and touched her face as if rediscovering it through his gaze. "I didn’t even realize that. I thought maybe they showed you pictures... or soone told you."
Luca shook his head imdiately, his brows furrowing. "No. Nobody showed anything."
His tone was almost offended, like it was unfair that such a big change had been kept from him.
"I didn’t hear anything," he said. "I swear. I didn’t know. I just—when I saw you co out of the car just now, I thought maybe my eyes were lying."
He smiled wide, his grip tightening gently on her hands.
"But they’re not. You look... amazing."
Valentina’s heart swelled. There was no filter in his voice. No jealousy. No confusion. Just pure, unfiltered joy.
And in that mont, all the fears and mories she had once associated with her scars the sha, the hiding, the pity in people’s eyes it all felt like a distant past. Gone.
Now she could wear anything.
Now she could walk in the sun, in the light, in public, without wondering who was staring or what they were thinking.
She was free, And it felt beautiful.
She gave Luca a soft smile, her eyes misting just a little.
"I’m happy too," she whispered. "More than you know."
Without another word, Luca stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her again tighter this ti. Like he was hugging not just Valentina, but everything she had beco.
As Luca clung happily to Valentina’s waist, giggling like he’d just won the world, Raymond stood a few steps back, unmoving watching.
His eyes, however, were far from calm, they were cold. Sharp. Focused, Like blades unsheathed beneath the stillness of his face.
To anyone else, he looked like a quiet guardian. But inside, his thoughts were dark. Heavy. Spinning fast.
There’s sothing about that boy.
The way Luca bead with affection, the innocent way he held Valentina like a little brother greeting his sister it all looked harmless.
But how many lifetis have I said that before? Raymond thought bitterly.
He had seen too much to be swayed by charm, too much to ignore patterns. Especially when every single life Valentina had lived, every one ended in death, had a strange thread connecting them all.
Luca, the boy, the constant.
And yet, there he was. A child. Fragile, smiling, warm.
At that mont Raymond’s mind flared with cold logic, ruthless and cruel.
’Just deal with him now,’ a voice inside whispered.
End it. Snap his neck. Poison his drink. Make it look like an accident. No pain, no witnesses, no more risks.
He clenched his jaw as that thought grew louder. His fists tightened at his sides, But then another thought crawled up beside it.
He’s just a boy, a kid who couldn’t even lift a heavy stone, let alone harm soone like Valentina.
Raymond’s eyes narrowed.
Except, of course, if poison was involved, that was the one danger that didn’t require strength.
Just intention.
What if Luca’s not even aware of what he is? What if he’s being used?
Or worse... what if he’s the key that triggers the curse each ti?
Raymond’s thoughts spiraled as he stood there in silent war with himself.
He couldn’t afford to take risks anymore. Not after everything he’d lost.
Not after the centuries of watching Valentina die again and again.
And yet... he also couldn’t act too fast, Not without knowing everything.
Not without certainty, he was still contemplating weighing fate, life, and death in his mind when Valentina’s voice suddenly broke through his thoughts like sunlight cutting through a storm.
"Oh! Luca," she said cheerfully, turning and tugging the boy gently forward. "Co say hi."
She smiled up at Raymond and gestured with a soft laugh.
"This is my husband. Raymond."
The mont Valentina introduced him, Raymond gave a slight, polite nod, his eyes still watching Luca like a hawk. But even with the civil expression on his face, he was reading everything every blink, every twitch, every breath Luca took.
Luca, on the other hand, froze the instant his eyes t Raymond’s.
There was a long pause, his small brows furrowed, and confusion washed over his face like a sudden gust of wind. He blinked a few tis, staring hard, as though trying to adjust his mory to what he was seeing.
"Wait..." Luca finally said, his voice a little softer, almost stunned. "You’re... you’re the one?"
He pointed slightly, glancing at Valentina with wide eyes. "You’re the man that ca to our house that day? With all the guards? The man with the beard and the really long hair?"
Valentina gave a gentle nod, amused by how overwheld he looked. "Yes, Luca," she said, her voice warm, "he’s the one."
At that mont Luca’s eyes widened further. He looked back at Raymond, then at Valentina, then back again.
"No way!" he said, jaw slightly dropping. "But... how? You look... so different now!"
He stepped a little closer, still not fully believing it. "Was it just the hair? Or the beard? You looked so scary that day," he added honestly, then paused, lowering his voice like he was sharing a big secret. "I was actually afraid of you."
Raymond gave a small, polite smirk but didn’t speak, allowing Valentina to respond.
She laughed lightly, nudging Luca’s shoulder with her hand. "Well, he can be scary when he wants to be. But don’t worry, Luca that’s just his serious look. My husband is always handso... no matter what."
Luca blinked at her, then looked at Raymond again now really studying his face.
"I an..." Luca muttered, "he does look really cool now."
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