CHAPTER 193: CHAPTER 193

At that moment Maria smiled cruelly as she continued.

[She was boasting about how she would go online once more.Collect more money from them. Sell more lies. Destroy more lives.]

Then She gave the message a final glance, making sure every word was sharpened like a knife.

[I’m only telling you this because you deserve to know who you are dealing with, This time, you know better than to trust a pretty face.]

Satisfied with her message, Maria clicked Send.

She leaned back again, breathing out slowly, savoring the moment.

Without being told she knows Damien was already on edge — furious, betrayed, and hungry for revenge.

This little push would make sure he wouldn’t just be angry.

He would be ruthless.

Maria smiled wider, her chest filling with a dark sense of satisfaction.

Valentina, she thought coldly, this time, even your own screams won’t save you.

At that moment Maria slowly sank deeper into her chair, her fingers still lightly brushing over the keyboard as if feeling the aftershock of her wicked victory.

Her lips were curled so wide into a smile that it almost looked painful, stretching across her face until her cheeks nearly touched her eyes.

But Maria didn’t care of what would happen, She sat there, practically glowing with satisfaction.

This is it, she thought, her heart thudding in a slow, triumphant rhythm.

"This is the beginning of the end for Valentina."

The anger she had carefully planted inside Damien... she knew it wasn’t just ordinary anger.

It was hatred — poisonous, deep, and consuming, a hatred that would not fade.

A hatred that would grow rapidly, wildly, into a monstrous tree that would only bear one fruit — destruction, and knowing what kind of person Damien truly was — unpredictable, ruthless, and dangerously unstable Maria was more than certain he would not let this slide.

"No, Damien would fight.

He would bite, he would tear into Valentin, without mercy"

And all Maria had to do was sit back and watch it unfold.

She crossed her legs casually, still smiling to herself, tapping her fingers rhythmically against the arm of her chair, even if Damien didn’t reply immediately, it didn’t matter.

She had already achieved what she wanted, the seed had been planted.

The fire had been lit, and it was only a matter of time before it consumed everything.

Again Satisfied beyond words, Maria leaned her head back, feeling the weight of her victory settle sweetly over her shoulders.

This time, she thought darkly, there will be no second chances for Valentina.

No mercy, no escape, only ruin.

**

Meanwhile, across town, Valentina had just arrived home, with the look on her face one could tell she was worried.

She didn’t know how Raymond would react, although she spoke with him on the phone, but still she doesn’t know what he would say, because she clearly disappointed him, for not telling him where she was going to, and it resulted into something else, into something she couldn’t get her heads around now.

However she decided to shake off that feeling’s.

As Valentina quietly opened the bedroom door, a wave of heaviness washed over her.

The room was dim, the curtains drawn halfway, and there, sitting silently on the edge of the bed, was Raymond.

The sight of him made her heart clench, he looked utterly exhausted — not just physically, but emotionally too.

His shoulders were slumped, his face pale, and even from where she stood, she could sense the weight pressing down on him.

He looked like a man who had been carrying a mountain all by himself.

At that moment Valentina hesitated at the doorway for a moment, guilt tightening in her chest, before slowly, cautiously, she walked closer.

Each step felt heavy, almost reluctant, but she knew she had to face him, she owed him that much.

When she finally stood in front of him, she could see it more clearly — the disappointment in his eyes, hidden beneath a veil of restraint.

It hurt more than she expected.

Taking a shaky breath, Valentina lowered herself to her knees right in front of him, her head bowed slightly.

"I’m sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

"I... I’m extremely sorry for what I did."

At that moment she clenched her fingers into the fabric of her dress, struggling to meet his gaze.

"I just... I just thought I was doing the right thing," she continued softly, almost pleading.

"I thought they really needed my help. I thought it was urgent... something serious. I didn’t know..."

Her voice cracked slightly.

"I didn’t know it was a setup from the beginning."

The more she spoke, the heavier her heart became, because Raymond seems not to be looking at her.

She realized now how naive she had been.

How her good intentions had almost gotten her killed — and worse, caused Raymond to carry yet another burden because of her.

She lowered her head even more, feeling the tears welling in her eyes.

"I’m really sorry for everything," she repeated, her voice breaking, "I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t mean to make you worried."

At that moment Silence fell over the room, the only sound was the faint ticking of the clock on the wall and Valentina’s shaky breathing.

She waited, heart pounding, praying that somehow, Raymond would understand.

Without a word, Raymond suddenly pulled her into his arms.

It was not a gentle, hesitant hug.

It was fierce — desperate — as if he was trying to shield her from every evil in the world.

Valentina gasped slightly, caught off guard by the strength of it.

Her heart, which had been trembling in fear and guilt, nearly stopped from the shock.

She had expected anger, She had expected cold silence.

Maybe even rejection.

But not this, not Raymond clutching her so tightly against him, as if letting her go would mean losing her forever.

Her face pressed against his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart against her cheek.

He was shaking, Just slightly — but she felt it.

The raw emotion he was holding back.