Page 41 of Married to the Ruthless Mafia Heir

I sat her down on the sofa. Remembering what Elena and I had just done there, guilt stirred in me. I withdrew my hand, putting distance between us.

Last night happened too suddenly. When Valentina appeared at the party, I was stunned. I'd searched for her for years, and she just showed up—still radiant, walking toward me. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming.

She'd talked about old times—memories that had faded until she brought them back into focus. Over ten years had passed. She'd aged, fine lines appearing on her face, but time had given her a refined elegance.

We talked for hours. Eventually, I arranged a place for her to stay and posted guards to keep her safe. I just hadn't expected her to track me down at the office.

Valentina noticed me pulling away. Instead, she moved closer, throwing herself into my arms. She held on tight, her full weight against me, shoulders shaking.

For a few seconds, I drowned in old memories.

Her perfume smelled the same as years ago. She cried the same way. All those old images flooded back. But then Elena's face—clean, innocent—rose to the surface, snapping me back to reality.

I pushed Valentina away gently, patting her back. "Alright. Stop crying."

She looked up, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Dante, I'm still scared. In Mexico, they locked me up for so long. They didn't treat me like a person. I had to report everywhere I went, couldn't talk to outsiders. Sometimes they'd beat me..."

She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a faint scar on her forearm. "See? They did this last winter. Every day I wanted to die. But I kept thinking... I wanted to see you one more time. I missed you so much."

That scar stood out starkly against her pale skin.

I took her wrist, thumb brushing over the mark. I stayed silent for a long time.

"They kept you locked up—how'd you escape?"

Her shoulders tensed. "A few days ago something happened there. Some kind of chaos. They weren't watching me. I snuck out the back door that night. Later, I ran into people from Lombardi Family. They saved me."

The Lombardi Family had plenty of business in Mexico. They were famously decent—saving Valentina made sense.

But something felt off. "What kind of chaos?"

She hesitated, shaking her head. "I... I don't really know. Things just went crazy suddenly. Fewer guards around. I was afraid I'd miss my chance, so I ran."

I didn't press further, but doubt spread through me like vines.

I'd sent so many people to Mexico over the years. We'd searched and found nothing. Salvador's people wouldn't be that careless. How could someone locked up for years just slip away because of "chaos"?

Her story had too many coincidences.

But looking at Valentina's tear-streaked face, I couldn't bring myself to interrogate her. I buried my suspicions, keeping my expression neutral.

I handed her a card. "There's plenty of money on this. Since you're back in New York, start a new life. I'll have people protect you. Salvador won't touch you again."

Valentina took the card. "What about us?"

I knew what she meant. She wanted to get back what we had. But I had Elena now. I had to refuse. "Valentina, everything you suffered—I'll do everything I can to make up for it. As for our relationship, I'm married now. I can't promise you anything."

She stared at me blankly, like she hadn't expected me to be so cold.

But I had no choice.

Chapter Fifteen

Elena

After returning from Manhattan, my mood had lifted considerably. Sure, Valentina was back, but her presence didn't seem to affect what Dante and I had. He'd been gentler with me, and that hadn't changed just because she'd returned.

And he'd agreed to let me make him a suit. That lit something inside me—hope, maybe, that I could still win his love.