Chapter 0217
+25 BONUS
Marcus, after speaking with Olsen, returned to his office and was a bit surprised not to see Valerie’s bag. He called her, but she didn’t answer, so he tried Frederick instead.
“Frederick, have you seen Valerie? I don’t see her bag in the office,” he said, feeling a tightness in his chest.
When he asked Frederick, Marcus hoped he’d say Valerie hall stepped out briefly, but deep down, he knew something was bothering her. She wasn’t naive–she knew olsen wasn’t just anyone and likely sensed trouble brewing-
“Oh! Valerie asked for permission to leave. She wasn’t feeling well. Now that I think about it, she did look pale, so I didn’t hesitate to let her go.”
Η
Marcus didn’t wait for more and rushed out. It was clear what was happening–he didn’t need to be a mind reader to understand that Valerie had misunderstood everything he had tried to avoid. He grabbed his car keys and hurried out, unsure of his destination. As he made his way to his car, he kept calling her repeatedly, but of course, she didn’t pick up.
Valerie had left the office with a hollow feeling in her stomach that seemed to rise into her throat. She couldn’t stop it. It had been so long since she’d felt this way, and it caught her completely off guard. Not wanting to worry Camille or Serenity, she decided to walk instead. She sought refuge and ended up sitting on a bench by the lake that had been her companion so many times before.
Valerie, always so naive,” she muttered to herself. “Fate keeps telling you this isn’t the way. Focus on Serenity and forget about all this love nonsense. It’s just not in the cards for you. You always lose.”
Marcus had a hunch that Valerie wouldn’t go home. In the short time he’d known her, he’d learned that Serenity was always her priority. If Valerie wasn’t in the right mood, she wouldn’t go back home. He had a good idea where she might be. When he arrived at her favorite spot, there she was, sitting on that lonely bench, swinging her feet absentmindedly.
“Valerie…” Marcus said nervously.
Valerie didn’t want to turn around. She didn’t want to show her tear–streaked face. The lump in her throat was finally breaking free, and she cursed herself for ever showing Marcus this place.
“Go away! I don’t want to talk to you!”
“Valerie, we need to talk!”
Finally, she turned, and Marcus saw her beautiful face streaked with tears. Her eyes and nose were red, and the radiant expression he loved was now dimmed.
“Valerie, please… I know you’re upset, but I need you to listen to me,” Marcus said, approaching the bench.
“No! I told you no! Can’t you respect that? I’m just someone to spend the night with!” she shouted, her lips trembling
“Valerie… please…”
“I’m such a fool. I always have been. I keep falling, but not this time. You said it yourself–I’m an adult, and I make my own decisions. So, Marcus, I don’t want to keep seeing you. I don’t want to relive what I’ve already been through. I won’t be the woman who waits while someone else comes back,” she said, avoiding his eyes.
“Wait, Valerie…” Marcus took a deep breath, trying to process her words. “You can’t just end things between us because someone from my past showed up. We need to talk about this! And no, you’re not just someone to spend the night with. You mean so much more to me,” he said, feeling anxiety surge through him.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0217
“What is there to talk about? Thanks, Valerie, but my girlfriend’s back!” No, Marcus, no. I’ve been through this before, and I won’t let it happen again.”
“Valerie, the woman who showed up today… it’s true, we used to date. But that ended a long time ago. Her visit caught me off guard, and I didn’t want to put you through this. I spoke with her. That chapter of my life is closed. I’m not going back to it. But… what do you mean you’ve been through this before?”
“Marcus, I was married a long time ago. I was young and naive. I was the obedient, submissive wife, but even that wasn’t enough to stop my husband from beating me because of his ‘great love.“”
“What? What are you talking about? Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Marcus asked, shocked by her confession.
“Exactly what I said,” Valerie replied, turning to face him. Her eyes brimmed with tears she was trying to hold back. “Before Peter, I was married to Maximus–his brother. At first, he was kind to me, and I fell in love like an idiot. Then his great love returned. Out of nowhere, he proposed to me, and I thought things were over between them. I was wrong. She was always there.
“The Maximus I knew changed the day we married. He insulted me, hit me, and humiliated me endlessly. Even Peter confronted him once, but it only made things worse. I spent over three years locked in a huge mansion- sometimes alone, sometimes with him. But I preferred being alone.
“In the end, he left me with my heart and soul shattered. That’s when Peter stepped in, trying to mend what his brother had broken. But you know how that ended. I don’t need to explain it. So no, Marcus. I won’t go through that again. I refuse to let myself fall in love and be destroyed again. I’ve lived it. I’ve been a nobody in someone else’s life, and I won’t do it anymore.”
