CHAPTER 218: CHAPTER 218

Rebecca’s eyes, at that moment, turned sharp and filled with open disgust. The warmth she had worn earlier vanished completely, replaced by a coldness that made the entire room feel suddenly smaller.

"If she doesn’t want to stay," Rebecca said, her voice laced with contempt, "then let her leave."

Her tone was firm—cutting—and it echoed with a sharp finality that made Valentina’s breath catch in her chest.

"This is a family home," Rebecca continued, stepping forward now, each word slower and heavier than the last. "If she doesn’t want to be around the family she married into, then maybe she shouldn’t be here at all. No one’s begging her to stay. She’s free to walk out that door. And nobody—nobody—will hold her accountable."

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Valentina could barely move. The air between her and Rebecca had grown heavy, filled with unsaid tension. Every word Rebecca had spoken didn’t just sound like frustration—it sounded like resentment.

But just when the moment teetered on the edge of something much darker, Cecilia stepped in.

Still smiling, still calm.

But there was now a quiet warning in her voice.

"Rebecca," she said softly, her tone maternal but layered with subtle command, "you’re going too far."

Rebecca turned to her, unbothered, but Cecilia continued before she could respond.

"Valentina isn’t strong right now," Cecilia said. "And she didn’t come here on her own—I brought her. She’s my guest. Our guest. And this is her first time in this house. Her first time seeing any of this."

Her eyes softened again as she looked at Valentina. "So please, Rebecca... be nice. She deserves to be welcomed."

She gave a small nod toward Rebecca. "Be nice to her."

"This is her first time here," she said again gently, "and she needs to be welcomed."

Immediately, Rebecca folded her arms and leaned slightly against the doorway with an exaggerated smirk on her face. Her tone dripped with mockery as she tilted her head to one side and said, "Oh dear Valentina, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know we had royalty in our midst." She clasped her hands together in fake apology. "Forgive me, Princess. I had no idea you were above being spoken to."

The sarcasm in her voice was so sharp, it almost cut the air itself.

Valentina’s lips tightened. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she still said nothing. She didn’t trust herself to speak—not yet. The tension in her chest was beginning to rise, burning slowly, and it took everything in her to keep her expression neutral.

But inside, she was boiling, It was humiliating.

It felt as though she’d been dragged into a trap. Whether intentional or not, it was beginning to seem more and more like Cecilia brought her here not to meet family, but to watch her be made fun of. To be mocked. And Rebecca—Rebecca clearly had something against her.

The worst part? Valentina couldn’t even understand why.

From the way Rebecca had been acting since the moment they met, it was clear this wasn’t just a matter of misunderstanding or stress. No, this was personal. The condescension in her tone, the looks, the way she barely tried to hide her dislike—it was all intentional.

And Valentina hated this feeling.

She hated feeling small. She hated the silence she had to force herself into. And most of all, she hated that Cecilia didn’t seem to be doing much to stop it.

Still smiling, still calm, Cecilia gently placed a hand on Valentina’s back.

"Don’t take anything Rebecca says to heart, dear," she said, as though nothing had just happened. "That’s just how she behaves. You’ll get used to it."

Then she gestured toward the corridor and added with a soft, coaxing voice, "Come now. Go rest. You need it. I’ll have a room prepared for you."

At that moment, Valentina took a step back from Cecilia’s soft touch and spoke clearly, her voice low but firm, her frustration finally spilling through her words.

"Mother," she said, trying hard to keep her tone respectful despite how tired and overwhelmed she felt, "I’m not going to rest here. I want to go home."

She clutched the strap of her handbag tighter as she added, "I don’t understand what’s happening to me, my body feels off, and I just need to rest in my own space. I believe that’s not too much to ask."

Her eyes slowly drifted toward Rebecca, who now stood with her arms still crossed, watching her like a hawk.

"And as for Rebecca," Valentina continued, not breaking her gaze, "it’s obvious she doesn’t want me here. I don’t know what issue she has with me, or why she’s acting like we’ve met before. But I know when I’m not welcome."

She turned back to Cecilia, her voice softening just a little.

"Mother, I don’t think I want to stay here any longer. I came because of you. But now... I want to leave. Raymond is probably worried sick already. Please, I really just want to go home."

She reached for her bag and adjusted it on her shoulder, preparing to walk away, her heart heavy with a mix of confusion, humiliation, and something she couldn’t yet name. As she turned toward the door, just a few steps forward—

Rebecca’s voice rang out behind her, sharp and commanding.

"And where do you think you’re going?"

Valentina froze in place.

Rebecca stepped forward, her heels clicking slowly across the marble floor.

"I said stop right there," she continued coldly. "We’re not done talking yet."

At that moment, Rebecca’s voice sliced through the air like a blade.

"Respect?" she scoffed, eyes narrowed, her expression laced with disdain. "Valentina, you’re talking about respect? Do you even have any idea what that word means?"

She took a slow step forward, arms still crossed tightly. Her gaze pierced through Valentina like daggers.

"Just look at you," she sneered. "You walk in here like a princess—like everyone needs to bow or cater to your delicate feelings. You act like you’re so important, like this whole family should revolve around you."

Valentina’s eyes widened in disbelief, but she said nothing. Her lips parted slightly as she tried to find the words, but none came fast enough.

Rebecca’s voice grew colder, her heels clicking as she walked straight up to her. "Who the hell do you think you are, huh? You think being Raymond’s wife gives you the right to talk when I’m talking? You don’t even know what kind of house you’ve walked into."

She stopped just inches away from Valentina’s face, her breath hot and bitter. "Let me give you a little warning, darling—mind the way you talk here, or I swear, I will make sure your stay ends before it even begins. You’re not part of this place. And you will never be."

Valentina’s chest tightened. Her fists clenched by her side, not out of anger, but from the wave of helplessness that washed over her. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

Just then, Cecilia stepped between them with a sudden urgency, placing her hand firmly against Rebecca’s shoulder, her face still carrying a faint, polite smile, though her eyes held a quiet warning.

"Rebecca," Cecilia said, her voice calm but firm, "enough."

She gently tried to push Rebecca back. "This hasn’t gotten to that point. You need to calm down. She’s still new here. She doesn’t know everything. Don’t make this more difficult than it already is."

At that moment, Rebecca wasn’t even listening to Cecilia’s voice anymore. Her expression had changed completely. She looked like someone who had waited a long time to release something dark and heavy—and now, nothing was going to stop her.

"Valentina," she said with a cruel smirk, ignoring Cecilia’s calming attempts, "you should count yourself lucky that I’m in a good mood today. If not... I would’ve handled you the way I’ve been dying to do for years."

Valentina blinked in confusion, the words slicing through her chest like ice. Years? What did she mean by that?

She glanced at Cecilia, hoping—just hoping—for some kind of intervention or explanation, but Cecilia was frozen, her smile long gone, her eyes avoiding Valentina’s gaze.

Valentina’s heart was racing now. Something didn’t feel right. She had tried to remain calm and respectful, not wanting to create tension in what she thought was a family home, but the way Rebecca was acting—how she spoke, how she looked at her—it wasn’t normal.

She finally broke her silence, her voice shaking but loud enough to be heard.

"What is going on?" she said, her eyes shifting between Rebecca and Cecilia. "Did you... did you bring me here for this? Are you two working together? Is this why you brought me here?"

There was pain in her voice now—confusion, fear, betrayal. "I don’t understand what I’ve done, but if this is some kind of trap, just tell me. I want to leave. Now."

She took a small step back, clutching her bag tighter. "Is this a joke? Am I supposed to beg or something? Why are you doing this to me? I trusted you."

But before she could finish her sentence—before she could even take another breath—Rebecca moved with terrifying speed.

With a fierce glare and no warning, Rebecca’s hand shot forward, wrapping around Valentina’s neck with supernatural strength. In one fluid motion, she lifted her off the ground like she weighed nothing.