THE ITALIAN MAFIA'S KARMA

Chapter 81: EX FLAME

Valentina was curled up in a ball on the bed, listening to sorrowful music whilst thinking about her sorry situation, when Sonia walked into the room.Her pupils dilated when she spotted the position Valentina was in, and she hurried over to the bed.

"Val?"

Valentina buried her face deeper under the pillow when she heard her voice.

"What wrong, Val?" She questioned worriedly, as she stroked her back which was the only visible part of her body.

"I’m so sorry Sonia," her voice choked, sounding muffled underneath the pillow. "Forgive me."

"What happen?" Sonia asked, her eyes ridden with both confusion and worry.

She had to strain her ears to catch what Valentina was saying.

"It’s the phone, Sonia. I foolishly soaked it in water. Now it won’t turn on."

"Oh Val. That’s why you sad?"

Valentina abruptly sat up, startling Sonia.

"Go to Natalia. She should be in possession of my Gold earrings. They’re pure gold so if you sell it, you can use the money to either repair your phone or get a new one. I’m so sorry, Sonia."

Sonia’s lips pursed as she observed Valentina.

Her eyes were red like that of someone who had been crying.

But if there was anything she had learnt so far about her, she fought the hardest never to cry in front of people. Except she couldn’t help it.

She stretched her hand, and swiped the strands of hair covering her face.

"You already give me diamond. No, I’m not angry. Accident happen. You make your call?"

"Does that matter now? It doesn’t."

She moved to return to her mourning position, but Sonia’s words stopped her.

"Luce send for you."

She froze.

"I don’t want to see him." The words fell loosely from her lips, as her chest tightened.

"Val, I know you no like carpo now. But he really good. Maybe in future, two of you make peace and be friend. Now he want to see you."

Valentina ran a tired hand through her hair, as she sighed in exhaustion.

"What does he want?"

"I don’t know."

She nodded. "Fine. Let’s go." She rose to her feet, and began walking towards the door.

"Val?" Sonia called out to her.

She stopped and turned. "What?"

"You still wear your night dress."

Valentina looked down. "Yeah I didn’t feel like changing into something else after I bathed this morning. Why?"

"Your eyes really red. With the gown, you look—"

"Disheveled? Good. He doesn’t deserve to see me at my best anyway," she spewed bitterly.

Sonia smiled. "Even if you wear rag Val," she rose to her feet, and walked up to her. "You still look really beautiful. But you change, okay?"

Valentina grumbled, but when she remembered she owed Sonia a phone, she dashed to the bathroom to rinse her face.

When Valentina stepped out of the room of whispers, she was dressed in a backless, short, flared silver dress Sonia had brought her.

Her hair was pinned to perfection, whilst letting smaller curls down to frame her face even more perfectly than it already was.

"Where did you get this fragrance from? It’s almost identical to my own." Valentina sniffed her body, as they walked along the halls of Neravalle.

From a distance, she could hear laughter and conversations. But for some weird reason, every time she was being led to a destination, they never encountered anyone.

"Probably by design knowing how secretive they are," she thought, as her attention was drawn back to Sonia’s response.

Sonia’s eyes brightened and widened, sparkling with eager energy.

"The bottle of perfume from Miss Natalia. Empty. I pick it up from room, and go to my cousin Candy. She make any perfume at all."

Valentina’s brow furrowed. "Let me get this clearer. You picked up the empty bottle of the 5ml perfume we had, and gave it to your cousin. She recreated the fragrance by just perceiving it, correct?"

Sonia’s head bobbed. "Sì!"

"Wow! That’s an amazing talent! Tell her to make more for me. I’ll pay for it."

"Okay!" Sonia’s voice pitched excitedly.

On arrival at the lounge’s door, Sonia stopped.

"You go in now Val," she said.

"You’re not coming along?" Valentina eyed through a suspicious lens.

"No. Only you."

"Fine I guess." She turned to the door.

Something was heavily amiss. There was a stench of bad behaviour in the air.

She pushed the door open, and walked into the lounge.

The second her feet touched the floor of the lounge, and she closed the door behind her, Valentina felt trapped.

As she turned from the door, and took a step forward, she understood why.

Chris...

Luciano’s eyes softened, and his brows drew together, half in relief and half in ache, when his gaze fell on her.

His eyes traced her every feature. From her face that tortured him even in his anger, to her body that called out to him in the most tempting way.

When his travelling eyes returned back to her face, a thought he wouldn’t have admitted even in his dying bed formed in his heart.

He had missed seeing her face terribly.

"That’s a spitting image of Bianca Barone. I’ll know, because I’ve seen a very rare picture of her before," Chris said, pulling Luciano out of his unrestrained appraisal of Valentina.

Valentina felt a jolt in her chest when she locked eyes with Jared.

"Well Chris, that’s because she is Valentina Wallace," Luciano said.

Chris chuckled curtly. "My God! What a beauty she is!"

Heat of fury crawled up Valentina’s face.

The stench made sense to her now. It was coming straight from the bastard.

Her fingers tremored lightly, and her stomach turned.

A fine pretender the bastard was. Chris? Who the hell is Chris?! She thought.

In her silent rage, her thoughts drifted to an unforgettable nor forgivable past.

FLASHBACK

Valentina sat on a stool in the small apartment that smelled of cigarettes and stale coffee.

Wearing just his buttoned down shirt, with her legs folded, her neck tilted to the side in a perfect pose.

Jared stood a small feat away, holding a painting brush as he painted on his canvas. "Hold the pose, Valentina," he said brusquely.

"But I’m getting tired. When will it be–"

His phone rang for the umpteenth time, interrupting her. And for the umpteenth time, he refused to pick up.

She straightened her neck, and unfolded her legs. "Angelica is it? Pick up. She’s waiting."

He dropped the paintbrush, and walked over to her.

"You’re imagining things again. I told you it’s your paranoia returning."

"No Jared," she forced a laugh. "I’m not a fool. You’re cheating on me. What did I do wrong?"

He leaned in to kiss her, but she dragged her face away, and flinched.

Jared chortled lightly, as he backed off. "But of course. More beautiful than anything or anyone eyes have ever seen, but colder than the creatures of the seas. You claim I’m cheating, but if I am, you make it damn easy with your revulsion for something as exciting and exhilarating as sex."

He tried to force a kiss on her again, but she pushed him away, and jumped to her feet...

"And whose fault is that?" She questioned through trembling lips.

"Excuse you?" his eyes flickered.

"I’m scared every time you come close to me because you’re so rough. I don’t— I don’t enjoy it!"

He chuckled dismissively. "Oh yeah, we’re saying the same thing baby. You’re a cold bitch. That’s why men prefer cultured women who light up their bed with fiery passion. Just saying." He turned around, and walked away.

The tears came slow at first as Valentina watched him walk away, knowing in her heart she had lost her first love.

And maybe this time, it was forever.