novelraw Chapter 85: MARKED BY ANOTHER
Chapter 85: MARKED BY ANOTHER
Sonia clutched her chest, and gasped, the moment the dress finally fell over Valentina’s head."I understand cousin. I have never seen a more beautiful woman!" Candy said to Sonia in Italian.
"Truly, she is stunning," she replied back to her.
"So?" Valentine’s brows lifted as she anticipated their thoughts.
"Can I say something, Val? I hope you don’t get angry."
"No, go ahead. Speak up please."
"You should be the kind of woman standing beside Luce tonight. Not the other one. She’s so mean, and annoying. But you– You are something else." She shook her head, her eyes gleaming with awe.
Valentina smiled, although a little repulsed by the idea of replacing Daniela.
Not because Luciano wasn’t by far the most attractive man she had ever known.
But mostly because he was still a walking reminder of her scars she never thought would heal.
"Turn around Val. Let see from back," Sonia breathlessly whispered.
Valentina laughed softly, and obeyed the command.
"You have tattoo?!" Sonia gasped. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
"Yeah, but it’s subtle. Except under a reflective surface. Watch this."
She hurried to the bathroom, gathering the dress in her hand so it wouldn’t get wet.
As she walked in, she turned her back to them. "Look through the glass!" She said.
Their eyes widened at the same time when they saw the inscriptions clearer through the glass.
"Cool right?" She smiled as she stepped out again.
"What it mean?" Sonia asked.
"Light in the darkness."
Sonia’s eyes watered, and before she could stop herself, she burst into tears.
"Why are you crying, Sonia?" Valentina quickly drew closer to her, her forehead creased from worry.
"You just so beautiful, so kind, so perfetta!" She sniffled.
Valentina smiled. "You’re amazing yourself Sonia."
The door opened just then, and they all looked at the same time.
"MammaMia!" Salvatore whistled when his eyes fell on Valentina.
It would be perhaps the third time ever he was setting his eyes on her.
He already thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he had seen a lot of beautiful women.
But tonight, in red, dressed like that– she was the heart desire of both men and women alike.
He bowed slightly, and when he lifted his head, there was a smile in his eyes. "It’s time."
Valentina’s heart skipped a beat, and her stomach tensed.
It was time, yet she didn’t know what for.
*****
An eight chair was provided on the table of the lord’s, and there Ross Voltron sat with a glimmer in his eyes.
Chris, who was on a central table from where he could see everything, smiled knowingly.
He couldn’t believe he had almost passed up on this cinematic spectacle that only promised to be even more explosive when the guest star walked in.
To conclude the speeches, and make a final toast, Luciano and Daniela rose to their feet.
A mic was presented to them. Luciano began.
"Hello everyone. My friends, my family, my business partners, even foes," he paused, his eyes scanning round the room.
"How rich is this bastard?" Enzo whispered to his best friend Lorenzo.
"He won’t hold his wealth for too long, I promise."
"Are you sure this Ross guy is here to help us?"
Lorenzo looked at Ross who returned his gaze with a wink.
He smiled. "He will. I promise."
"Thank you all for coming. Cheers to every last one of you. My bride is going to speak now," he said. "You all better listen attentively," he added playfully, and everyone laughed.
Daniela who loved the spotlight, and the fact everyone’s eyes were strictly on her, collected the mic and began.
"Thank you to my parents first of all. You’ve raised the woman I am today. The woman my man fell in love with and is ready to settle down with. I can’t even begin—"
A slight commotion titled the scales of attention.
When a gasp followed, everyone’s eyes began searching for the reason.
It didn’t take long for them to see why. Because standing up the staircase, was a woman in red.
The dress itself was an announcement and a statement.
Redder than sin, and cracking fire.
It clinched where it was supposed to, and curved where necessary.
The front was simple. Deceptively so, with its soft deep cut.
However, when she turned around to thank Salvatore for keeping her mind off what was to happen, the gasps in the hall heightened.
It was a masterpiece of a backless dress, plunged deeply down to her lower spine. Exposing flesh, and ink of her Arabic tattoo.
Under the lights that adorned the room, it glowed.
"You’re welcome. Let’s go." He threw her a wink.
She turned again, and this time, began descending down the stairs.
Luciano’s world stopped briefly, and he forgot how to breathe.
The more visible she became, the more rapid his reactions ran.
His hands curled beside him, and his pulse quickened, punching violently beneath his skin.
The man who was supposed to be done with her, in his own thoughts, couldn’t control how enamored he was.
Because she wasn’t just beautiful. She was impossibly so. Like a dream and a perfect nightmare at once.
Daniela paled like a ghost when Valentina came down the last case.
She had wanted to believe it wasn’t her. That she was still rotting away at la
notte.
But how could she deny what was right in front of her? That her torturer had returned, and stolen her spotlight.
She couldn’t even look at Luciano, for fear she would see him looking at the witch with enchanted eyes.
Tears formed, but she trapped them in her chest. For she would rather choke, than let the tears run down her eyes in front of everyone.
Valentina’s feet continued to glide confidently across the floor, commanding the attention of everyone.
Only her eyes were on just one man. One very dashing man who was looking at her like she was his salvation.
"Cristo!"
Lorenzo Barone jumped to his feet. "What is this?! Sorcery of some kind. Tell me right this second?!" He drew his gun out.
Valentina paused, and her gaze drifted to the man who had broken the stunned silence that descended at her entrance.
However, it wasn’t him her eyes swiftly fell on.
"Richard?" She muttered under her breath.
Ross Voltron rose to his feet, with his signature smile boldly on his face.
"Someone fucking tell me what is going on, I said!" Lorenzo continued to scream like a mad man, as he waved his gun all around.
No one seemed to care about his outburst, or even flinched at the gun he was wielding.
After all, it wasn’t unusual for crazy people to walk around swinging a gun.
"CristoSanto," Giovanni muttered under his breath, as he stared at Valentina with disbelief in his eyes.
Beside him, Helena mirrored her daughter’s reaction.
It was true indeed. Natalia had to be Maria’s daughter. If this was her best friend, and she looked like an exact replica of Bianca Barone.
The rest of the dons muttered between themselves, with unasked questions hanging on their lips.
Who is this woman?
It was what they wanted to know.
Luciano watched Ross pointedly, because the woman who had been looking at him, was now looking at the bastard.
Ross didn’t stop smiling, as he rounded the table, and walked directly to Valentina.
"How I’ve missed seeing your beautiful face," he said, and before Valentina could react, his hand went behind her head, and he brought his lips down on hers.
Luciano’s stormy grey eyes instantly turned black. The kind that usually appeared before a massacre occurred.