Chapter 3 3

Valeria had always been good at running.

It was second nature, a skill she had honed over years of learning that men only ever wanted one thing, and once they got it, they either discarded you or owned you. Neither option had ever appealed to her.

But this-this was different.

She wasn't just running from another man. She was running from Alessandro Moretti.

And something told her that escaping him wouldn't be as simple as walking away.

She had seen the kind of man he was, felt it in the way he touched her, in the way he looked at her like she was something he had already claimed. If he ever found out about this child, there would be no discussion. No negotiation.

He would take her.

Take their baby.

And she would never be free again.

The thought made her stomach tighten with something close to fear-a feeling she despised, a feeling she refused to allow herself to dwell on. She wasn't some helpless little girl. She had survived this long by making sure she was always in control.

She just needed a plan.

Something that would ensure that Moretti never found out.

Something that would keep her free.

Bianca was still watching her, arms crossed, her expression a mix of concern and exasperation.

"So, what's the plan?" she asked. "Because unless you're hoping for divine intervention, I don't think this is a problem that's just going to go away."

Valeria took a deep breath, forcing herself to think.

"I leave," she said simply. "I disappear."

Bianca frowned. "What?"

"You heard me. I go somewhere he can't find me. I start over."

Bianca let out a sharp laugh. "Val, this isn't some deadbeat loser we're talking about. This is Alessandro Moretti. The man probably has more connections than the damn government. You think you can just vanish?"

"I can try."

"And when he finds you?"

Valeria met her gaze, her voice quiet but firm. "He won't."

Bianca sighed, rubbing her temples. "Jesus. Okay. Let's say you do manage to disappear-where the hell are you planning to go?"

Valeria thought about it. She had money, stashed away from years of playing rich men like pawns on a chessboard. It wasn't an empire, but it was enough to get her out of the city, enough to buy her time.

"I don't know yet," she admitted. "But I'll figure it out."

Bianca hesitated, then muttered a curse under her breath.

"I hate this. I hate this," she said. "But fine. If you're doing this, I'm helping."

Valeria blinked. "What?"

"You heard me," Bianca said. "You're not doing this alone. If you're running, you need a solid plan-fake identity, a paper trail that leads nowhere, a place to stay. And lucky for you, I happen to have a cousin who knows a guy."

Valeria raised a brow. "You have a cousin who knows a guy?"

Bianca smirked. "You're not the only one who keeps secrets, sweetheart."

For the first time since seeing that test, Valeria felt something like hope.

Maybe-just maybe-she could pull this off.

Maybe she really could disappear.

Two Weeks Later

The train station was crowded, the platform buzzing with the usual noise of travelers, announcements crackling over the speakers, and the occasional screech of brakes against metal.

Valeria kept her head down, her fingers tightening around the handle of her suitcase. She was dressed simply-jeans, a fitted sweater, a dark coat that swallowed her frame. Nothing that stood out.

Nothing that would draw his attention.

Bianca had done her part. A new identity, a new life waiting on the other side of the country. If all went according to plan, she'd be gone by morning.

She exhaled, forcing herself to keep moving, forcing herself to believe that this would work.

Then she felt it.

The shift in the air.

The weight of a gaze that burned against her skin.

Slowly, carefully, she turned.

And her heart stopped.

Alessandro Moretti stood at the far end of the platform, watching her.

He wasn't dressed in a suit like the last time she'd seen him. Tonight, he wore all black-his shirt unbuttoned at the collar, his sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal the dark ink etched along his forearms. But it wasn't his appearance that made the blood drain from her face.

It was the look in his eyes.

Cold. Unforgiving.

Like he already knew.

Like he had always known.

Valeria's grip on her suitcase tightened.

She could run.

She could turn and bolt onto the train, pretend she hadn't seen him, pretend she still had a chance at escaping.

But she knew better.

Alessandro was a predator. And she was already caught.

The crowd moved between them, a temporary shield, but it didn't matter.

Because within seconds, he was there.

Right in front of her.

Too close.

His voice was quiet, but there was nothing soft about it.

"Going somewhere, tesoro?"

Valeria swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes."

His jaw ticked. "And where, exactly, were you planning to go?"

She lifted her chin, schooling her features into a mask of indifference. "Away."

Alessandro's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile.

"Funny," he murmured. "Because last time I checked, you belonged to me."

Something inside her snapped.

"I don't belong to anyone," she hissed, her voice sharp, furious. "You don't own me, Moretti."

His gaze darkened.

"No?" he mused. "Then explain why you were about to run from me."

Valeria's pulse pounded.

She needed to get out of here.

Now.

She took a step back, but he was faster.

His fingers wrapped around her wrist, his grip firm but not painful. A warning.

"You have five seconds," he said, voice dangerously low. "Tell me why you were leaving, or I'll find out myself."

Valeria's heart slammed against her ribs.

She could lie.

She could say she was leaving for work, for a fresh start, for anything but the truth.

But Alessandro wasn't an idiot.

And somehow, deep in her gut, she knew-

He already knew.

The realization sent ice through her veins.

And before she could even think of a response, Alessandro leaned in, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered-

"Is it mine?"

Her entire body went still.

A single heartbeat.

A single breath.

Then-

She ran.

She ripped her wrist from his grasp and bolted through the crowd, ignoring the sound of his voice, the way her pulse screamed at her to run faster, move faster, escape.

But it was useless.

Because before she could make it to the train, before she could even take another step-

A strong arm wrapped around her waist.

And Alessandro Moretti pulled her back into the darkness.