Seductive Salvation (Book One of The Mafia Heiress Series)

Chapter Twelve

Valeria

I had been lying awake for hours so I decided to glance over at the clock on my nightstand, which only made me more restless as it was just nearing 4 a.m. I decided to get up and get a glass of water from downstairs so I grabbed my robe and wrapped it around me. I quietly opened my bedroom door and walked down the stairs. I made my way to the kitchen, took a glass from the cabinet, and poured some water into the glass. I heard voices coming from the study that was across the hall. I snuck in front of the door and listened.

"What exactly are we going to do about this problem? Instead of using her, he's fallen in love with her and now they are having a baby. You fucked up, Ivan. I told you that there could be no mistakes this time. I need her dealt with and you should have never gotten so drunk that you sold her. You need to contest the paternity. There is still a chance that it's your baby and you need to get an outside doctor to do the test so that they can't spin the results. I sold her to you for a reason and you decided to keep her, toy with her, and turn her into a killing machine instead of using her for what she was sold for." They were talking about me. That voice sounded like the voice that haunted my dreams. No, he was dead. I killed him myself. I struck the knife through his heart. It's not possible.

"Adrian, what would you have me do? I grew fond of her like you were of her mother. I couldn't just hand her over to my enemy, she was far too pretty and vulnerable. I know that she was meant to be a peace offering to your father in law but come on, you didn't really think that would work did you? The story would have been funny though. The headline would have read 'long, lost Italian heiress returned to her family after search ended years ago'. You honestly believe that if you tell him that Valeria is alive and well that he'll forget that you killed his daughter and grandson? Valeria is a Russian now especially since she's carrying my brother's child or mine. The Italian's would never in a million years want her to be a part of their family because they wouldn't trust her." Ivan laughed, clearly enjoying his conversation.

I was confused and didn't want to hear anymore but I was too curious as to what exactly they meant about me being the long, lost Italian heiress. So, I stood there and continued to spy on them. "You clearly don't know how important an heir is to Vincenzo. He would kill anyone to get a hold of her if he knew that she was alive. You have to either get rid of that baby or pretend that you gave her to some Italian customer of yours and he knocked her up. She can no longer be tied to any of you. You can fake her death and then it will be easier to get her out. I already told him that she's alive and will be delivered to him within the next two weeks. Don't make me back out on our deal, Ivan."

"I'll figure it out. I wouldn't want you to go telling everyone my secrets, now would I?" They laughed and I could hear them getting up. I ran back up to my room quickly and quietly. there was no possible way that my dad was alive and there was no possible way that I was the Italian heiress. I crawled back into bed and tried to stop thinking about what they had spoken about. There was a quiet knock on my door, "wh-who is it?"

"I just wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay." It was just Sergei. My body relaxed and I smiled at him. He walked over and sat on the foot of the bed.

"I'm okay. I just can't sleep, that's all." He took my hand and held it in his.

"I just had a bad feeling that something was bothering you. There is something bothering you, isn't there?" He read me like an open book.

"It's nothing, really. I think I was just hearing things or had a bad dream that seemed extremely real."

"You're terrible at keeping secrets from me, milaya."

"Did Ivan ever tell you about my father?"

"A few things but never more than what was told to the public. Why?"

"I was the one that killed him. I had been planning it for a while but then I saw him, drunk, and trying to force himself on his girlfriend or whatever she was. I couldn't let it happen so I killed him."

"You had every right to after what you went through as a child. Why are we talking about this right now?"

"I swear that when I went downstairs for a drink of water that I heard him and Ivan talking. Ivan even addressed the voice as Adrian, my dad's name."

"That can't be possible. If you killed him and they buried him then how could he be alive?"

"What if Ivan had him taken to a hospital instead of burying him? It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility. There's something else too."

"What is it? Are you okay?"

"I overheard them talking about me and some long,  lost Italian heiress. Someone named Vincenzo and about my mother being his daughter." Sergei's eyes widened.

"It's not possible. You can't be her. You must have misheard them. There's absolutely no way that you could be Italian, let alone the Italian Boss' granddaughter who was killed many years ago. Ivan killed her himself, we all saw the body."

"I had to have been hearing things then." I shrugged and half smiled at him.

"You need to get some more sleep. I'll let you lay back down. If you need anything, let me know." Sergei stood up and walked out of my room. He normally would kiss me or tuck me in but he seemed distant after our conversation. What did I say that made him leave like that?