26. VALENTINO
26
VALENTINO
After dropping Layla back at the hospital, the drive back home feels aimless. The road stretches endlessly before me as my thoughts spiral into the chaos of everything that has happened.
Layla. Vincent. That night years ago that changed everything.
I keep driving, not really seeing the road, just needing something to ground me before I lose myself completely.
Layla and I are finally in a place where we should have been years ago, together, honest, unafraid of what we feel for each other.
But it still feels like there’s more work to do.
The past still clings to us, and I wonder if I’ll ever be able to forgive myself for all the lost time. For not being there for Vincent. For letting Layla believe that I was the kind of man who wouldn’t have wanted him. Or her.
I let out a harsh breath, exhausted in a way that sleep won’t fix.
Without realizing it, my car takes me back to the vineyard office.
It’s late, the estate is quiet, the only sound is the soft hum of the wind rustling through the vines.
I park in the driveway, letting my hands drop from the wheel, rubbing my face, trying to push back the endless loop of thoughts.
I lean back against the seat, shutting my eyes for a moment, just needing a second to breathe.
Then, a soft knock on my car window startles me.
I open my eyes to see Devina standing outside, her expression cautious, concerned.
I roll the window down, forcing myself to look collected, as if I haven’t just spent the last hour driving around like a man unraveling.
“Mr. Marchetti, you all right?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just needed some air. It’s been a long day. No need to worry.”
She doesn’t look convinced, but to her credit, she doesn’t push. Instead, she offers a small, understanding nod.
“I thought I’d remind you, your mother’s things that you asked me to move from the attic are in the conference room. You mentioned wanting to go through them before... well, before everything.”
I blink.
Right.
Before Layla’s confession, before Vincent’s illness, before my entire life was turned upside down in the best and worst ways possible.
For a moment, I consider telling Devina I’ll go through them later, that I can’t handle another emotional upheaval tonight.
But then again, maybe it’s exactly what I need.
A distraction.
“Right,” I exhale, running a hand through my hair. “I’ll get to that now.”
Devina walks with me to the conference room, but stops at the door, giving me a small smile before leaving me alone.
The door clicks shut behind me, and suddenly, I’m surrounded by memories.
Boxes, crates, stacks of things my mother left behind, some I recognize, others I don’t. The scent of old paper and faded perfume lingers in the air, and for a second, it feels like she’s here.
I sit down and start sifting through the past.
A small love letter catches my eye first, written in my mother’s elegant script, addressed to my father.
I skim through the affectionate words, feeling like an intruder, like I’m peeking into a part of my parents’ lives that was only meant for them.
I quickly fold it up, placing it back where it belongs.
There are more mementos, old dried-up flowers, birthday cards, and small trinkets we gave her as kids.
I flip through them all slowly, until my fingers brush against something unexpected.
A stack of documents.
Something about them feels important, and my heart pounds as I pull them out.
My stomach drops the moment I see what it is.
This is it.
A copy of the will. The same one Eva had thrown in our faces, the one that had caused a storm within the family.
But underneath it, something else.
An agreement. Signed by Emilio and my grandfather, Giorgio, along with a money transfer.
My breath catches.
Evidence.
Hard proof that Eva has been manipulating the truth, proof that could end this nightmare once and for all.
I shoot to my feet, the chair scraping loudly against the floor.
“Fuck yes!” This is the first real spark of victory I’ve felt in days.
This is it. The smoking gun.
This could save my family, my father’s legacy, and finally put an end to Eva’s twisted games.
I reach for my phone, knowing exactly who I need to call first.
But before I can dial, my screen lights up with an incoming call,
Layla.
My heart stops.
I answer immediately, panic setting in. “Hey. What’s wrong?”
Her voice is thick with emotion, but this time, there’s something different in it.
Something like… hope.
“Valentino…”
I can tell she’s holding back tears.
“What is it?” My fingers tighten around the phone.
She exhales, shaky but relieved.
“Mattia is a match.”
I freeze.
Everything around me goes still.
For a moment, I swear I can’t even breathe.
Then, the weight I’ve been carrying for days, the helplessness, the desperation, it all crashes into me at once.
Mattia is a match.
My son has a chance.
I squeeze my eyes shut, my chest tightening as I fight back the sudden, overwhelming rush of emotion.
“Valentino?” Layla’s voice pulls me back.
I swallow, nodding, even though she can’t see me.
“I’m on my way."
Because nothing else matters now. Not the vineyard, not Eva, not even the chaos of the past few weeks.
All that matters is Vincent.