CHAPTER 107: THE KEYS

"Kind, compassionate, noble, extremely intelligent. When we searched you up on the internet, those words the articles emphasized about your character. You’re not really being kind at the moment, Mr Giovanni," Valentina said.

Giovanni was taken aback for a moment. It was like talking to Bianca Barone, even though he had really ever spoken to her about once or twice.

"I don’t know what you want from me Miss Valentina, but I assure you it isn’t what I can give."

He moved to maneuver past her, but she blocked his path again. "How about a DNA test then? Forget about the letters, the word of mouth, and every other thing. Just real medically backed confirmation. Please," she added in desperation.

Giovanni stared at her, a part of him grateful she carried the compassion of her mother, instead of the brutality of her infamous father.

For a moment there, Valentina and everyone else thought he would reconsider his stance.

Even Natalia paused her tears as hope rose in her.

Daniela sensing that the tides could possibly turn, jumped to action immediately.

"Oh please! That woman called my own father impotent. That is a sin that can never be forgotten or forgiven. She in her own words has refuted the claim Natalia is his daughter. Let it be put to rest, so my father can have peace."

Valentina saw the moment Giovanna’s gaze shifted from the right tracks, into believing Daniela’s manipulation tactics.

"You heard yourself. I want peace, and this isn’t going to give me that."

This time, Valentina did not try to stop him as he stormed away.

She went to her friend instead, who was wailing uncontrollably.

"Stop the crocodile tears Natalia. You’re fake, and you’ve been exposed! You’re a fraud!" Daniela hurled insults on her.

"That’s enough Princess. Come on. Escort me out of here," Helena said with faux graciousness, as she dragged her daughter away.

Sonia from behind, walked over and held on to an inconsolable Natalia, as Valentina bent to pick up the stack of letters that had been carelessly and maliciously flung around.

She gathered them into her hand, and then straightened up.

"Val!" Natalia pulled away from Sonia, and leaned towards Valentina who pulled her in for a hug.

As she held her, she sighed internally. They had not parted on the best terms the last time, but this was her sister.

Her hurt was her hurt. And her pain, her pain.

"Let’s take you to your room, Natty. It’s fine. You’ll be fine," she whispered to her, as her own eyes moistened.

Luciano watched the entire thing unfold, picking apart loopholes and slip ups.

And when Valentina opened her eyes, she caught his gaze briefly.

Her eyes squinted when she saw the side of his head plastered.

However, she couldn’t dwell too long on that, as with the help of Sonia, she began to lead Natalia back to her room.

Natalia wouldn’t stop crying even after she was under the safety of her covers.

"He really is my father, Val. You know that. I know it too. Mama spoke about him all the time. She wondered how he was doing. How could he do this to me? How could he blatantly reject me without trying? No one loves me," she cried out.

Valentina sniffled. "That’s not true Natty. Everyone who knows you loves you. Give it time. When he doesn’t have external voices influencing his mind, I’m certain he’ll give it a second thought."

"You promise Val? Because he’s the only reason we came here in the first place. We went through all of this just for him. And now— oh my God, I don’t know." Her body trembled violently as she burst into a new wave of tears.

Valentina could only hold her through her expressions of pain, and whisper as many comforting words to her as she could think of.

A little while later, Natalia drifted into a sleep induced by pain.

Only then did Valentina let go of her, so she could properly rest her body on the bed.

"She sleep now," Sonia said as Valentina rose to her feet.

"Yeah, she is. I need a breath of fresh air," Valentina was saying when her eyes fell on the letters.

She quickly picked them up.

"What you do with that?"

"Something feels off. I read some of these letters myself. The reason I didn’t read the others was because they felt like an invasion of privacy. You know, intimate thoughts and all of that. She did allude to him being Natalia’s father in these letters. So if they’re saying something else, someone definitely tampered with it."

Sonia’s eyes widened innocently. "Who do evil thing like that? Miss Natalia no deserve." She shook her head in disbelief.

"I know right? But I have a feeling who it might be. Anyway, I should get this back to my room. I’m afraid it could be tampered with again if I leave it here. Can you take me to my room and bring me back after I’ve hidden these?"

"Sì Val. Let’s go."

Sonia opened the door for them to walk out, but they found Vittorio and Elio about to knock on the door.

"She’s sleeping," Valentina said. "But, she does need someone watching her. So could you both stay with her until I’m back? I need to drop something off in my room."

"Sure," Vittorio said.

He went into the room first.

"You good?" Elio asked Valentina.

She forced a smile. "I’m fine."

He nodded, and walked in too.

Valentina left with Sonia to her room.

In her room, she ensured to hide the letters in a place no one would ever find them.

Satisfied with her choice, she turned around to walk out of the room with Sonia.

"Val, I remember chef ask me to bring something for her. I forget before. You wait here five minutes?"

"Oh sure. Go ahead. I’ll just—" she turned around to see they were in a long hallway. "I’ll just stare at the walls, I guess."

"Thank you, thank you Val!" She said gratefully, and hurried away.

Valentina indeed began to stare at the walls, studying the patterns closely to see if she could finally decode how they managed to blend so seamlessly.

She was so focused on looking closely at the walls, her body jerked when a sound caught her attention.

Her head spun around right after, in search of the source of the magnificent piano keys she just heard.

Before she could comprehend what was happening, her feet began to lead her towards the sound.

It was impossible. It was supposed to be impossible because there was no time she walked on her own in Neravalle, she didn’t end up walking in circles.

But not this time.

Walls that would usually cause hindrance, slid open easily through corners and turns, as she followed the piano keys.

Eventually, she arrived in front of a wide open door.

Her feet froze in place when her eyes stumbled forward.

The room was something of a music room, but she wouldn’t know yet, because her eyes were staring at the back of the man who was playing the piano.

Her body, of its own accord, balanced its sides on the door frame, as she just listened to him play.