CHAPTER 197: CHAPTER 197

At that moment, Raymond gently pulled her even closer and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead.

It was warm, and reassuring.

Silent — yet filled with meaning.

At that moment when he pulled back slightly, his gaze softened, and his lips curled into a small, almost teasing smile.

"Well," he said quietly, "it seems you must have loved me a little too much to start imagining we met in school."

Valentina blinked, her brows raising slightly in confusion, Raymond chuckled faintly, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.

"I mean, really—me? In school with you?" he said with playful disbelief. "That’s not even possible."

He shook his head gently, his tone light, as if trying to brush off the heaviness that had clouded the room.

"Come on, you’ve been through so much already," he added, cupping her cheek tenderly. "You don’t need to overthink things right now. Just relax. You’re safe. That’s what matters."

Valentina exhaled slowly, nodding, though a small knot of confusion still tugged at the back of her mind.

He was right, It wasn’t possible.

She’d just met him, hadn’t she?

This was all new... wasn’t it?

And yet...She couldn’t explain the way her heart settled whenever he touched her, the calm that washed over her in his presence, It wasn’t logical. It didn’t make sense.

But it was there, a strange, ancient familiarity that kept tugging at her chest like a whisper she couldn’t quite hear.

Still, she decided not to push it not tonight.

Maybe her emotions were still shaken from everything that had happened, maybe her mind was just playing tricks on her.

So, she smiled faintly and leaned against him, letting herself breathe for the first time in hours.

"Well..." she whispered softly, "I guess that makes sense."

Then after a pause, she looked up again and spoke, her voice sincere.

"I’m really sorry, Raymond... for what I did. For running off like that. For not telling you. For everything."

Raymond looked at her, and in that one look, all the frustration and fear he had held earlier melted into quiet forgiveness.

"Don’t worry," he said gently.

His voice was calm. Steady.

"It’s okay. Truly."

He rested his forehead against hers once more.

"You’re here. That’s all that matters."

At that moment Valentina was about to turn and leave the room when a thought suddenly tugged at her memory.

She paused, her fingers still brushing the doorframe, and turned back toward Raymond.

"Oh!" she said, her voice a little breathless. "I just remembered something."

Then Raymond raised his eyes slowly, his expression unreadable, though the air around him seemed to shift. He was listening carefully.

Valentina smiled gently and walked a few steps closer, as if trying to soften the news she was about to deliver.

"Since I promised I won’t be going anywhere without telling you again..." she began, folding her hands in front of her, "I should probably let you know now."

She gave a small nervous chuckle. "You know, just to keep my word."

Raymond said nothing yet. His eyes locked onto hers — calm on the surface, but behind that stillness, a fire burned. His entire posture tensed slightly, but he forced a relaxed expression, offering her a slight nod to continue.

Valentina could feel the heat of his attention.

"I’ll be going out tomorrow," she said slowly. "With Luca."

There it was — the shift, For a brief second, she swore she saw something flicker across Raymond’s face.

Something... sharp, dark, But it was gone in an instant.

"Luca’s been looking forward to it," she went on quickly, her voice softening. "I promised him a while ago, and with everything that happened, I just... haven’t been able to keep that promise."

She tried to read his expression, but Raymond’s features had settled into a calm so practiced it was impossible to tell what he was truly thinking.

"He’s been really sweet to me," Valentina added, a gentle warmth in her voice. "Very different from the rest of the family. He doesn’t treat me like I’m someone to be controlled or watched. It’s like... I don’t know. There’s something honest about him."

At that moment Raymond remained quiet, though the air between them had grown heavier.

Then Valentina stepped closer and touched his arm lightly.

"I just wanted to tell you so you wouldn’t worry," she said gently. "It’s nothing serious, I promise. Just something small to make him happy."

She offered a smile a genuine one then looked up into his eyes, waiting for his response.

The moment the name Luca left Valentina’s lips, Raymond’s calm exterior faltered.

His eyes sharpened, his jaw tightened.

It was subtle almost unnoticeable but to someone who knew him, it was a shift as loud as thunder.

Valentina, oblivious to the storm that had just begun to churn inside him, continued to speak softly, trying to explain the innocence of the outing. But Raymond wasn’t listening he had already begun to connect the pattern, to gather the threads of suspicion, to prepare for the storm he feared would rise from that name.

Luca was not just a boy.

He might not even be what anyone believed he was.

So when Valentina mentioned going out with him, alone, Raymond’s entire being locked into a state of heightened awareness.

His brow furrowed sharply, and he finally asked, voice low and careful, "Who... initiated this outing?"

Immediately Valentina blinked, slightly surprised by the question.

"Oh—Luca," she said gently. "He was the one who mentioned it first. But I thought about it, and honestly... I think I owe it to him. After everything that’s happened, he’s one of the few people who’s actually been kind to me."

Raymond remained silent for a beat, his thoughts spun in circles.

He didn’t want to deny her. Not after what she had just been through. But he couldn’t shake the feeling the gnawing suspicion that there was something beneath Luca’s surface, something wrong.

His voice was calmer than how he felt when he spoke next.

"What if I tell you not to go?"

Valentina tilted her head at him, a small amused smile on her lips, but her eyes studied him.

"Or..." Raymond added, his tone firm now, "Should I come with you?"

There was a flicker in Valentina’s expression. A pause. Then she gave a soft laugh, the kind meant to lighten tension.

"Well," she said with a playful shrug, "I’m definitely going, Raymond."

At that moment she stepped closer and gently placed her hand on his chest.

"But..." her eyes met his, serious now, "if you want to come with me, I’m okay with that. You’re my husband. Luca won’t find that strange. In fact, maybe it’s time he meets you properly."

Raymond exhaled slowly, his gaze locked on Valentina’s soft features. His expression, however, was hard not toward her, but toward the world around her.

"Alright," he said quietly, but his tone was laced with warning. "If I’m going with you, then I’ll allow it."

Valentina blinked, surprised at the subtle shift in his wording.

He wasn’t agreeing he was allowing.

But before she could speak, he continued.

"It’s not you I don’t trust," Raymond said, his voice low and serious, "It’s them."

At that moment he stepped away slightly, running a hand through his hair with a controlled tension.

"I know what your step mother is capable of, Valentina," he muttered. "And even though Luca might seem like just a sweet kid... if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this life, it’s that innocence can be the perfect mask."

His jaw clenched slightly.

"What if she’s using him?" he added, locking eyes with her. "What if this is her next move?"

Valentina’s breath caught, her face slowly shifting from concern to contemplation.

Raymond’s hand came up to gently hold her shoulder.

"But it’s fine," he said, calmer now. "You agreed. I’ll be there. Nothing’s going to happen to you."

His eyes darkened with conviction.

"In fact," he added, "this is the perfect opportunity."

Hearing Raymond words Valentina tilted her head, confused.

Raymond’s lips tightened slightly, his thoughts already running ahead.

"I’ll finally get to see Luca face to face."

Not just from a distance. he will talk to him, watch him. Feel him.

He’ll know who he really is.

He didn’t need to say it Valentina could hear the silent vow in his words.

If there was anything off about Luca...If there was even the faintest sign of danger...Raymond would eliminate it.

Right then. Right there.

**

Meanwhile, across the city, in a lounge, the scene shifted

Damien sat alone, slouched low in a dark leather chair, his phone was in his hand, the screen casting a cold glow across his face.

His eyes — usually sharp, playful, calculating — now blazed with something else entirely.

Rage, Silent, Boiling, Unforgiving.

His knuckles were pale from gripping the phone too tightly, veins rising along his hand like lines of fury.

He had read the message from Maria over and over again.

Not because he didn’t believe it...

But because he did.

He believed every word, and that belief had awoken something inside him something darker than anyone had seen in years.