Chapter 31 Valentina
VALENTINA
I flinch as the decorative table crashes to the floor beside me, crystal vases shattering across the marble.
Tea and water splash my dress, but I don't move, don't breathe.
Maksim's face hovers inches from mine, his spittle hitting my cheek as he screams. "You think I care about their excuses? I am Maksim Vasiliev! They will find a way or I will find someone who will!"
The wedding planner shrinks into herself, clipboard clutched to her chest like that will protect her. She's new. The other quit after witnessing similar outbursts.
It seems Maksim has stopped hiding his true self now that I don’t have a bodyguard.
I miss Cristian so much it hurts. He'd never have let Maksim get this close to me.
"Perhaps we could substitute with—" I start, voice steady despite the terror.
"No substitutes!" His fist slams into the wall next to my head. "Nothing but the best for my bride."
But this isn’t about what I want. It’s all about him.
"Of course," I murmur, hands instinctively moving to my abdomen before I catch myself.
Maksim's eyes follow the movement, narrowing slightly. "You're not eating enough. You're too thin."
"Wedding jitters," I lie. Morning sickness has made it difficult to keep food down.
He straightens, smoothing his jacket as if he hasn't just terrorized the room. "Fix it," he orders the wedding planner. "Or I'll have your hands broken."
The poor woman nods frantically, tears welling.
When Maksim leaves to take a call, I exhale shakily.
"Are you alright, Miss Dante?" the planner whispers.
I help her gather scattered papers. "I'm sorry. This isn't your fault."
"How can you marry him?" she asks, then immediately looks horrified at her own boldness.
I don't answer because there is no answer that makes sense to normal people. This is my family's world.
Back home, I lock myself in my bathroom and vomit until there's nothing left. Then I sit on the cold tile, phone clutched in my hand, staring at Luca's number. I wonder if Cristian is there. Did Luca take him in?
Without Cristian here, Maksim's true nature emerges more each day.
The mask of civility slips further, revealing the monster beneath.
I’ve given up telling Alessandro or Adriano.
They act like there’s nothing they can do.
My bed is made and I need to sleep in it.
When I agreed to marry Maksim, I thought I was being brave, sacrificing myself for my family like a good daughter should.
Even when I fell for Cristian, I convinced myself I could endure a loveless marriage for the greater good.
But now? With each passing day, I see more clearly what awaits me.
Yesterday, Maksim broke a man's finger for bringing him cold coffee.
Not just bent it back, but snapped it clean while the poor server screamed.
Then he laughed.
The same casual cruelty he shows to everyone beneath him will someday be directed at my child, Cristian's baby.
A wave of nausea hits me that has nothing to do with morning sickness.
What kind of mother willingly delivers her child into the hands of a monster? What happens when Maksim's "heir" doesn't look like him?
I drag myself to the bathroom mirror, studying my reflection. The woman staring back looks defeated.
"He'll kill us both.” The truth I’ve known finally really hits home.
Maybe not right away.
Maybe he'll wait until I've given him a child of his own. But the moment he suspects this baby isn't his, we're dead.
Or worse, he'll keep me alive just to make me suffer.
A new wave of despair fills me. All my plans, my sacrifices were never going to work. I was a fool to think I could outmaneuver someone like Maksim Vasiliev.
I need to find another way out. Not just for me anymore, but for this innocent life depending on me to protect them.
I've been a fool, viewing myself as nothing but a sacrifice.
I am a Dante.
My brothers didn't include me in family meetings because they pitied me.
They did it because I have a strategic mind.
And right now, that mind sees only one path forward.
I won't be Maksim's bride. I'll be his executioner.
I should have listened to Cristian, I think, going to my bed and pulling out the knife I’ve hidden there since I was sixteen.
Father always said a Dante should never be without protection.
He was talking to my brothers, but I’m a Dante too.
The blade is small but deadly sharp.
Perfect for slipping between ribs when Maksim is distracted in our marriage bed.
The thought makes me sick, but not as sick as imagining his hands on me, on my child.
I practice the motion under my covers, visualizing the kill. One swift upward thrust beneath the sternum, straight to the heart. No hesitation. No mercy.
With the Pakhan dead, the Bratva will fracture, buying me precious time to disappear.
I'll need money. Documents. A solid escape route.
My fingers settle on my stomach. "We're going to find your father," I promise.
For the first time in weeks, I feel a semblance of hope. I refuse to be a victim any longer. I'll walk down that aisle with my head high, say my vows with conviction.
And then I'll carve my own freedom with my blade.
The next day, I feel my strength and confidence return. I have a plan and it might fail, but at least I’m doing something instead of giving in.
When I’m called to Alessandro’s office, I enter with indifference, not caring anymore about what he says.
But my heart stops when I see Maksim pacing, his face contorted into rage. "You promised me a virgin!" Maksim roars, slamming his fist on Alessandro's desk. "Your sister is damaged goods!"
I flinch at his words but keep my chin raised. How did he find out? A spy in our house?
I suppose it doesn’t matter now. But that’s good, right? He doesn’t want damaged goods. For the first time since Cristian left, I can breathe.
Alessandro remains unnervingly calm. "Cristian Bonetti took advantage of her. He became obsessed, stalking her. We've dealt with him."
What? No. Let him cancel the wedding. I can’t believe Alessandro is spouting the lie that Cristian suggested.
"You expect me to believe your own bodyguard defiled her under your nose?" Maksim sneers. "Your incompetence is staggering."
Adriano shifts beside me, his hand moving subtly toward his concealed weapon.
"The wedding is off," Maksim continues. "This alliance is finished. Prepare for war."
Yes. I look to Alessandro, hoping he sees the pleading in my eyes.
"Let's be reasonable," Alessandro says, raising his hands placatingly. "The alliance benefits us both."
I watch this negotiation of my life in horror. Not once does anyone ask what I want or how I feel.
"I won't be made a fool," Maksim says, eyes landing on me with such hatred, I struggle not to recoil. "To parade a whore as my bride?"
Alessandro stands. "She's still a Dante. The political advantages remain."
Maksim's eyes bore into me, his lip curled with disgust. I meet his gaze without flinching, though my heart is racing a million miles a minute.
“Do they?” Maksim sneers. “I’m better off with you dead.”
I gasp at how bold he is.
“That’s true of you as well,” Alessandro says smoothly. “My brother Luca? I saved you from him so we could forge a peace.”
I wonder if that’s true.
“My sister has been nothing but gracious to you ,Maksim. She was taken advantage of and now you insult her.” Alessandro makes a face of distaste. “And you call yourself a gentleman.”
Maksim’s face contorts into offense, although I’m not sure if it’s the statement about Luca or me that bothers him.
He runs his hand down his tie. "I expect this Cristian was… appropriately handled?"
"Of course," Alessandro replies smoothly. "He's been dealt with permanently."
The implication is that Cristian is dead.
Though I know it's a lie, the words still slice through me. But worse, my brother plans to salvage this wedding.
I could tell the truth.
Alessandro moves next to me, his hand on my back. I close my eyes, knowing he’s asking me to keep my mouth shut. To go along with this.
"And how can I be certain she's not carrying that bastard's child?" Maksim demands, gesturing at my stomach. "I won't raise another man's spawn."
“Again, you insult my sister. You are unworthy of her.”
I look up at Alessandro, hope growing that he’s going to end this arrangement.
“Surely, you’d have such questions in my place,” Maksim says.
“I’m not in your place, though.” Alessandro sighs. “If you’d rather have war, so be it.”
All of a sudden, the weight of so many men crushes down on me.
I’m on the verge of freedom, but at what cost?
I’d agreed to this marriage.
Can I really sacrifice so many lives for my own?
Maksim looks from Alessandro to me. “I suppose I prefer financial gains over war.”
“That’s what I thought. The wedding proceeds as planned."
My heart sinks.
“If she is with child—"
"I just had my period last week.” The words fly from my mouth before I’ve fully thought them through.
Maksim studies me, searching for deception. I don't blink. Don't fidget. Don't touch my stomach.
"A doctor can confirm this," Adriano suggests, his voice cutting through the tension. "We can have her examined today. Just to be certain."
Ice floods my veins. “No. I will not have another stranger violating my body. Haven't I been humiliated enough?"
"The examination would be clinical, not—" Adriano starts.
"Clinical?" I spit the word like poison. "Then you have someone shove a cold instrument up your ass and we'll wait for the results. How is that not a violation?"
Alessandro looks uncomfortable. Good.
"I understand your concerns," Maksim says, his tone softening, although I see it’s an act. "But when we're married, I'll need to…"
"That's different," I interrupt, meeting his gaze with false vulnerability. "We'll be husband and wife. You won't be violating me then… will you?"
I let fear seep into my question although it’s not entirely feigned. The thought of his hands on me makes bile rise in my throat.
A flash of something dark and possessive flashes in Maksim’s face, but he quickly masks it with a gentle smile. "Of course not, my dove. I'll cherish you."
It’s a lie. He'll own me, control me, break me. And we both know it.
I nod shakily, as though mollified by his assurance.
"We'll proceed with the wedding as planned," Maksim declares. "But understand this, no one can ever know about this indiscretion."
Alessandro nods. "Agreed. As far as anyone is concerned, Valentina comes to you untouched."
"And this Cristian," Maksim continues, his eyes sliding to me with cold calculation, "he's truly gone?"
"Permanently," Alessandro confirms.
"Then we have a deal," Maksim says, extending his hand to Alessandro.
And once again, I’m trapped.
As they shake on their new accord, I catch the flash in Maksim's eyes.
It’s a predatory gleam that unsettles me even more.
It occurs to me that he’s agreeing too easily.
This man who erupted in rage minutes ago now accepts damaged goods without protest?
He has no proof I’m not pregnant, yet he's moving forward anyway.
Why?
What is he after?