One Kiss Left

Chapter 37

Valentina's POV

The burning sensation in my veins hadn't fully subsided, but I managed to push myself to my feet, swaying slightly as I faced Alexander Kane. His eyes glittered with a cruel satisfaction, like he'd finally unlocked the mystery he'd been chasing all along. I could still feel the residual energy coursing through me—wild, unrestrained, and terrifying. But I wasn't going to let him see my fear. Not again.

"What does this have to do with me?" I rasped, my voice hoarse from the screaming. My limbs still trembled, my body weak, but I forced myself to stand tall. "What are you blaming me for?"

Kane took a slow step forward, his movements calm, deliberate. The syringe still glistened in his hand, though its purpose had already been fulfilled. "Blaming you?" His voice dripped with mock surprise. "Oh, Valentina. This has everything to do with what your father did."

I froze. The mention of my father's name hit me like a punch to the gut. Memories I'd tried so hard to bury resurfaced—whispers about his past, the fear that had hung over our family, the brutal night he'd been murdered. A pit formed in my stomach, and my heart raced with an intensity that rivaled the power now coursing through me.

"My father?" I whispered, barely able to form the words. "What does this have to do with him?"

Kane's smile was venomous, his gaze cold and unrelenting. "Everything. Your father was a key player in the underworld, a dangerous man who left behind more enemies than he could count. He was ruthless, Valentina, a man who thrived on control, power, and fear. But he made a mistake—he underestimated the people around him, people like me."

My mind was spinning. What was Kane saying? That he had some personal vendetta against my father? That all of this—everything that had happened—was tied to a man who had died years ago?

"My father's dead," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "What does it matter to you now? What does it have to do with me?"

Kane's smile faltered, just for a moment, before the predatory look returned. "Oh, it matters more than you know. Your father was part of something much bigger than a simple mafia network. He was involved in things—things that no one should have touched. And because of his actions, you were marked. His sins have become yours, Valentina."

Marked? The word sent a shiver down my spine. "I don't understand," I said, shaking my head. "He's dead. He's been dead for years."

"Yes," Kane said, his voice quiet, almost a whisper now. "But the consequences of his actions didn't die with him."

I felt the weight of Kane's words settle over me like a dark cloud. My father—always a distant, shadowy figure in my life—had been involved in dangerous things. I'd always known that, but I hadn't known the extent. Now, I was standing in front of a man who seemed to think that everything my father had done somehow tied back to me. That I was responsible.

"You were born into this, Valentina," Kane continued, his eyes gleaming. "You were never just a normal girl. Your father ensured that when he became involved with us, with our world. His death didn't end the debt. You're paying for it now."

"No," I said, my voice trembling with anger and fear. "That's not fair. I didn't ask for any of this!"

Kane's laugh was low, humorless. "Fair? This world isn't fair, Valentina. Your father knew that. He thrived on it. He built his empire on the backs of people like me—people he thought he could control. But he failed, and now his mistakes are yours to bear."

I staggered back, my mind reeling. My father's world, his death, had always been something I'd tried to forget, to move on from. But now, standing here with Kane, I couldn't escape it. I was being dragged back into the darkness my father had lived in—except this time, it was deeper, more sinister. And Kane wasn't just after my father's legacy. He was after me.

"You're wrong," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. "I'm nothing like my father."

Kane stepped closer, his gaze unwavering. "You may not want to admit it, but his blood runs through your veins. And now, with the power I've unlocked inside you, you're more like him than you could ever imagine. The same thirst for control, the same ability to manipulate those around you... it's all in there, waiting for you to embrace it."

I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. "No! I'm not like him. I won't become like him."

Kane's smile was cold. "You don't have a choice. This is who you are now. And whether you want to accept it or not, you're going to help me finish what your father started."

"What my father started?" I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.

Kane's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Your father was working on something—a project, a legacy. It's why he was murdered, Valentina. He got too close to forces that even he couldn't control. But he passed that legacy onto you. And now, with the power inside you, you'll finish what he couldn't."

"No," I said, shaking my head violently. "I don't want any part of this. I don't care what my father did, I'm not like him!"

But Kane's expression remained unchanged, his gaze piercing. "You can't run from this, Valentina. It's already in motion. Your father sealed your fate when he made his choices, and now you're part of a much bigger game. The serum I gave you has only begun to unlock your potential. Soon, you'll see for yourself what you're truly capable of."

I stepped back, shaking my head. This couldn't be happening. My father's past, the mafia, all the violence—none of it had anything to do with me. I wasn't a part of that world. I never had been. But Kane was making it sound like I'd been drawn into it from the moment I was born, like my father's sins were now mine to carry.

"You don't have to do this," I pleaded, desperation creeping into my voice. "Whatever my father did... it doesn't matter anymore. He's gone."

Kane's smile was cold. "But his debt remains. And now, you'll pay it."

I could feel the power inside me, bubbling beneath the surface, threatening to break free. My father's blood may have run through my veins, but I refused to let it define me. I wasn't going to become him. I wasn't going to let Kane control me.

With a burst of energy, I pulled free from Jay's grip, shoving him back with more strength than I thought I had. He stumbled, his eyes wide with shock, but before he could react, I turned to Kane, my fists clenched at my sides. The power surged again, and I could feel it, like a fire building inside me, growing hotter and stronger with each passing second.

"You don't control me," I said, my voice steady, my fear melting away as the power surged to the surface. "Whatever my father did, it's not my burden to carry."

Kane's expression darkened, his smile fading as he realized I wasn't backing down. "You don't understand what you're dealing with, Valentina."

"I don't care," I said, my voice hard. "I'm not like my father. And I won't let you use me."

For a moment, we stood there, facing each other, the tension between us crackling in the air. And then, with a sudden burst of energy, I released myself, letting myself explode outward.

The room shook, the walls trembling as the energy I had rippled through the space. Papers flew off the desks, and the air crackled with electricity. Kane stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock as the force of the energy hit him. Jay fell to the floor, his hands raised in surrender.

I stood there, breathing hard, but this time, I was in control. I wasn't going to let Kane—or anyone else—dictate my fate.

Whatever my father's past had been, it didn't matter anymore. I was forging my own path now. And I wasn't afraid.