In the heart of a modern city, two rival families hold the power. Valentina, a fiercely loyal daughter, and Matteo, a cunning and determined son, find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous feud. But when their paths unexpectedly intertwine, th...
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Matteo helped me up from the cold, grimy warehouse floor, his grip steady but emotionless. Every inch of my body ached—my face was swollen, my lip split, and bruises were forming on my arms and legs.
I could feel the sting of a cut above my eyebrow, and my shoulder throbbed from where I'd hit the ground. The ride to Matteo's house was filled with suffocating silence, the tension between us thick and unbearable.
When we arrived, Matteo opened the door for me but didn't offer any comforting words. He led me inside, handed me some clean clothes and an ice pack, and then sat down on the edge of his bed, his eyes cold and distant.
I slowly changed into the clothes he'd given me, wincing as the fabric brushed against my injuries.
The silence between us felt heavy, like a weight pressing down on my chest. I pressed the ice pack to my swollen cheek, trying to focus on the physical pain instead of the emotional storm brewing inside me.
Matteo's jaw clenched as he stared down at me. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut through, and I could feel the anger radiating off him. His eyes, usually so controlled, were hard and cold.
Finally, I couldn't take the silence anymore. "Why are you even helping me, Matteo?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He looked at me, his gaze cold. "I'm helping you because you were stupid enough to get yourself into this mess," he replied bluntly. "Someone had to clean it up."
His words stung more than the bruises. "You think this is my fault?" I asked, incredulous. "I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't even know who Lorenzo was until tonight."
"Yeah, well, now you do," Matteo said flatly. "But that doesn't change the fact that you got involved. You should've stayed out of it."
Anger flared up inside me, despite the pain coursing through my body. "You're the one who dragged me into this, Matteo! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been anywhere near Lorenzo!"
Matteo scoffed, his indifference cutting deep. "I didn't drag you into anything."
I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. "You put me in this situation, and you don't even feel bad about it, do you?" I demanded, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt.
He didn't respond, his silence speaking louder than any words. I felt a tear slip down my cheek, mixing with the dried blood from the cut on my lip.
I pressed the ice pack harder against my cheek, trying to numb the pain that his words had left behind.
The physical wounds would heal in time, but the emotional ones—those would take much longer.
"Why'd you help me, then?" I finally demanded, my voice shaky but determined. "Why'd you fight for me if you're just gonna blame this all on me?"
"You think I'm just going to stand there and let Lorenzo beat the shit out of you? You really think that low of me?" His voice was sharp, laced with frustration, but there was no apology, no softness.
"With the way you're acting now? Yes, yes I do think that!" I shot back, my voice rising with anger and hurt. The disbelief of how quickly he turned on me made my blood boil. "You did this to me, and now you're blaming me for it? I was just sitting there! I didn't do anything!"
"Exactly, Valentina!" Matteo snapped, his eyes narrowing. "You didn't do anything! You just sat there, making everything worse!"
The words hit me like a slap. My body throbbed with pain, but his words cut deeper. How could he stand there and say this to me?
"You know what, Matteo?" I said, my voice cold and steady despite the anger simmering beneath the surface. "I don't need this. I don't need you."
Matteo's eyes flickered with something—anger, confusion, maybe even regret—but he quickly masked it with indifference. "Fine. If that's what you want."
"It is," I shot back, grabbing my phone from the bedside table. My fingers trembled as I dialled Sabrina's number, but I refused to let Matteo see how much this was affecting me.
Sabrina answered after a few rings. "Valentina? Are you okay?"
"Sabrina," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Can you come pick me up? I need to get out of here."
"Of course. I'll be there in ten minutes."
"Thanks." I hung up and turned back to Matteo, who was standing there with his arms crossed, watching me with a hard expression.
"I don't want to be near you anymore," I said, my voice firm despite the pain coursing through me. "Not after this."
Matteo's eyes darkened, but he didn't argue. He just nodded curtly, as if my words didn't matter. "Suit yourself."
I grabbed my things, ignoring the sharp ache in my shoulder and the throbbing in my face. I didn't care how much it hurt—I just needed to get away from him, away from this place that now felt suffocating.
I heard Sabrina's car pull up outside. I didn't even glance back at Matteo as I walked out the door, feeling his cold gaze on my back. I was done with this.
Sabrina jumped out of the car the moment she saw me, her eyes wide with concern. "Valentina, what happened?"
I shook my head, not wanting to get into it. "Can we just go?"
She nodded quickly, helping me into the passenger seat. As we drove away, I glanced back at Matteo's house one last time, feeling a mixture of sadness and relief.
AUTHORS NOTEEE
how is Matteo gonna blame this on her☠️☠️ poor Val her life just flashed before her eyes Please follow my TikTok @heartss4bookss for more updates and content!!
