Chapter 34 Valentina
VALENTINA
Everything stops.
The room falls eerily silent.
Both families freeze.
Alessandro stands with his gun still raised. "The Dante family disowns this action," he announces, voice filling the silence. "This man acted alone, out of jealousy and obsession."
I can't tear my eyes from Cristian's body. His blood covers his chest.
My child's father lies dead at my feet.
My brother murdered him.
And I have nothing left to lose.
I lunge toward Cristian's body. “No!”
A heated discourse erupts between the Bratva and my brother and his men.
“We’ve got to go.” Adriano’s arms wrap around my middle and haul me up, dragging me to a side door.
“Let me go to him!" I flail, but Adriano’s grip is too strong.
"You can't," Adriano hisses in my ear. "It's not safe."
I thrash against him, my hands clawing at his arms. "He's dying! Let me go!"
But Adriano is relentless, pulling me out the side exit while Alessandro continues addressing Bratva men, Luca by his side.
“It’s a powder keg, Valentina. They’ll kill you if they get a chance.”
At first, I still want to fight against my brother, but then I think of the baby.
Of the sacrifice Cristian just made for us.
I can’t let that be in vain.
I twist my head for one last glimpse of Cristian, sprawled on the floor. He looks so small now, so still.
This man who loved me, who risked everything to save me.
"Alessandro killed him! He murdered Cristian!" I sob, giving up the fight.
Adriano leads me out of the building and to a waiting car. “You’re free. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
Oh, God. Is this my fault?
As the car pulls away, my mind is a kaleidoscope of images, all replaying Cristian entering the room, his crazed, unhinged rant, killing Maksim, and then falling, Alessandro's cold expression as he pulled the trigger.
Adriano is quiet but watching me, like he’s afraid I might open the door and jump out of the moving vehicle.
His phone beeps, and he checks the messages.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“Like I said. You’re free. Or nearly.”
When we arrive home, Adriano escorts me to my room. "Pack. Only essentials."
"What?" I stare at him, uncomprehending.
"You need to leave. Now." His voice is tight with urgency. "The Bratva will retaliate. You're not safe here."
“Alessandro already retaliated for them.”
“You think that will be enough? No. You’re going to Chicago with Luca. You always liked him best, so you should be happy.”
I stare at him. “That’s unfair.”
“Jesus fucking Christ, Valentina. We’ve saved you. Would you rather have been married to Maksim?”
If it meant Cristian could live, then yes. But I don’t say that.
Adriano's expression hardens. "Pack. Luca's waiting."
Suddenly, everything is too much.
I sink to my knees and weep.
I got what I wanted, but the price was too much.
Adriano grabs my arm, his fingers digging in as he lifts me up. "Listen to me. You can fall apart later. Right now, you need to focus on staying alive. Isn't that what Cristian would want?"
I realize he’s right.
Cristian gave his life for me and the baby.
Who knows, maybe he asked Luca to take me in, knowing I’d be safer away from New York.
Did he know what Cristian planned to do?
"Give me five minutes." I wipe my tears and suck in a breath. I’ll be strong for Cristian and our baby.
First, I strip off my wedding dress.
I hope the staff burns it.
I change into jeans and a shirt and then mechanically throw clothes into a bag.
As I do, something inside me hardens. I suppose it’s what made my brothers hard too.
The cold, hard fact of life. The ugliness of our world.
I'll go with Luca. I'll protect our baby. But this isn't over. Alessandro will answer for this.
The drive to the airport passes in silence.
We pull up to a sleek private jet.
Adriano leads me up the steps and Luca meets me inside.
He surprises me by pulling me into a hug. “You’ll be safe with us. I promise.”
How long have I wanted to hear that from him? From any of my brothers? And I’m grateful, but it doesn’t erase the devastating sorrow I feel at losing Cristian. I’ll never get over it. I now understand Adriano’s grief when he lost Eva. How his heart hardened.
“Is everything settled?” Adriano asks Luca.
He shrugs. “A few more Bratva have been lost, and I imagine when Ivan gets word, he’ll come looking for revenge, but without Maksim, Dimitriev, Stovic, and Sokolov, it will take time to regroup.”
I laugh derisively. “Oh, good. Your power and money grow.”
Adriano closes his eyes as if he’s asking for strength.
Another car pulls up outside and Alessandro exits, heading up the stairs. I rise, ready to confront him.
As he enters the cabin, I lunge for him. “How could you!”
“Whoa, little sis.” Luca puts an arm around my waist and holds me back.
Alessandro takes in a breath. “Will it make you feel better to hit me?”
“I want to scratch your eyes out.” I try to claw at him, but I can’t reach.
"I'm sorry for all the pain that's been caused,” he says, as if that will fix everything.
The rage that erupts within me is volcanic. "Pain that's been caused? As if it happened by itself? You pulled the trigger. You killed him. The only man who ever stood up for me. Who loved me."
Alessandro reaches for me, but I recoil. "Don't touch me."
"Did you love him? I mean like truly? Like forever after?" he asks, his voice softer now. “And if so, why didn't you tell me sooner? Why keep all this secret?"
I scoff. "Would it have mattered? Would you have called off the wedding if I told you I was in love with Cristian? That I'm carrying his child?"
The shock on all three of my brothers' faces would be comical if everything weren't so tragic.
"You're pregnant?" Luca steps forward, eyes wide. "With Cristian's baby?"
I lift my chin, defiance replacing despair. "Yes. And before you suggest getting rid of it, know that I would die first. He didn’t take advantage of me. In fact, it was the other way around. And he loved me. And this baby. But you wouldn’t know about love, would you Alessandro?"
Alessandro pales. "I would never suggest you get rid of a child.” He runs a hand through his hair. "Christ, Valentina. If I had known…"
"What? What would you have done differently?" I step closer. "The only way Cristian, I, and our baby could be safe was if I married Maksim. We both knew that. Why do you think I agreed to go through with it after everything?"
Adriano shakes his head. "You were going to raise Cristian's child as Maksim's?"
"I was going to do whatever it took to protect my family," I snap. "Isn’t that what you always say? Except, of course, I’m not included in that. You weren’t willing to do shit for me."
Alessandro flinches like I've slapped him.
"I loved him," I continue, tears spilling down my cheeks. "I loved him enough to let him go. And he loved me enough to come back and try to save me, even though it cost him everything."
Luca puts his arm around my shoulders. "We need to go."
I turn my back on Alessandro, his guilt and regret no longer my concern. All that matters now is the tiny life inside me, the last piece of Cristian I have left.
"You'll be safe in Chicago," Luca promises as he guides me to a seat on the plane. "I'll make sure of it."
I nod numbly, beyond words.
Alessandro steps forward one last time. "Valentina. You’ll find happiness again. I know it.”
Fuck you, I think but am too tired to say.
I sink into a leather seat, curling into myself. I can't bring myself to look out the window as we take off, leaving behind the city where I lost everything except the tiny life growing inside me.
Luca sits across from me, watching with concern in his eyes. I press my hands over my stomach, wondering how I'll ever explain to my child why their father isn't with us.
"You should rest," Luca says after the plane levels off. "There's a bedroom in the back. You look like you're about to collapse."
I don't argue. Exhaustion fills every cell. Without a word, I push myself up and make my way to the back of the plane.
The door to the bedroom is slightly ajar. I push it open, thinking only of collapsing into oblivion for a few hours.
My heart stops.
Lying on the bed, blood still staining his shirt, is Cristian.
I freeze, convinced I'm hallucinating. My mind finally fractured from grief.