Book two of 'The Vengeance Duology'
Five years ago, the lads and I made the biggest mistake of our lives-a reckless decision that shattered everything.
We destroyed what mattered most, but my deepest regret is how much I hurt her.
Every moment of pa...
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I'm pacing around the penthouse, my footsteps echoing in the vast, empty space as I wait for Valentina to come home. She went to the hospital to see Alessio after Nicco texted her, telling her that he was awake. Even though none of the lads have had any contact with us since she kicked them out of the flat, Nicco has still been texting her.
Not that she's seen them—she hasn't been allowed her phone for the past three weeks. Doctor's orders. After her breakdown, Domenico arranged for us to fly to Sicily. He gathered the best doctors and psychiatrists to help her, hoping they could fix what was broken. But no one knows if they did. They said it would take time for the pain to hurt less—if it ever does. There's no telling how long it'll take or if it'll ever happen.
Anyway, she went to the hospital today to tell Alessio the truth. Not just him—the boys too. The truth about who she really is... that she is Phantom. And more than that, the truth about Valencia.
I stop pacing, staring out the window at the lights of the city below. It feels like the whole world is holding its breath, waiting for whatever happens next.
Suddenly, I hear the front door unlock. My heart races as I rush to it, yanking it open to find Valentina standing there. She looks... empty, like a shell of herself.
"Well? Did you tell him?" I ask, my voice urgent as she steps inside and throws off her heels without a word.
"No," she says flatly, slumping down onto the sofa.
"What do you mean 'no'?" I ask, frustration creeping into my voice.
"I mean no, Jacques. I don't know how else I can say it." Her tone is hollow, as if all the fight has been drained out of her.
I stand there, staring at her, trying to figure out what's going on in her head.
The doctors warned me this might happen—dissociation, they called it. PTSD and BPD, that's what they diagnosed her with. Said that's why her mood can drop within seconds, why she feels so far away sometimes, even when she's right here.
I stand in front of her, watching as she slumps on the sofa, her eyes unfocused, her whole body slumped like she's completely given up. I hate seeing her like this. This isn't the Valentina I know—the fierce, unstoppable force. This... this is the side she tries to hide from everyone.
I kneel down in front of her, taking her cold hands into mine. Her fingers are limp, but I don't let go. I won't let her drift away.
"Valentina," I say softly, but with enough force that it should pull her back. "Hey, look at me."
Nothing.
"Come on, Princess. I need you here," I say, a bit louder, squeezing her hands just enough for her to feel it. "You're safe. You're not alone, okay? I'm right here."
For a moment, I think I've lost her to whatever darkness is holding her. But then... her eyes flicker. Just barely, but it's something. I can feel it, that tiny shift like she's trying to come back. I take a deep breath and force myself to stay calm.
