Chapter 131
Chapter 131
Valencia’s POV:
The maid left, and I felt an overwhelming urge to dig a hole in the ground and never resurface.
“Oh my
God…” I groaned, covering my face with my hands as the weight of what she’d just said settled in. “I’m so sorry.”
Across the dining table, Seven’s eyes widened. He shook his head so frantically I was surprised it didn’t snap off. “No–no, Miss Valencia… you don’t need to apologize! It’s your home, after all.” His voice was rushed, flustered, but then it lowered
just an uninvited guest staying her” slightly as he continued, “,,,
His tone turned self–deprecating, and I frowned, lowering my hands to look at him.
“You’re not uninvited,” I corrected, my voice firm. “We bought you here. Literally.”
(+13
Seven gave a weak, almost self–mocking smile. “But I’m not doing anything here,” he murmured. “All I do is lounge around like a… like a good–for–nothing.”
I snorted, rolling my eyes. “If you’re a good–for–nothing, then what does that make
me?”
His expression turned to shock, his head snapping up as he quickly refuted, “But you’re the Luna! You’re…” His gaze flickered to Castor’s egg, which I had placed gently on the table, and his voice softened. “You’re a mother.”
I nodded slightly. It wasn’t surprising that he’d put the pieces together. Seven had listened to most of the conversations happening in the mansion, and it wasn’t hard to connect the dots.
What did surprise me, however, was that Dante didn’t seem to mind having him in on our
The maids and butlers knowing was one thing–they were bound by contracts Seven…
He hadn’t signed any binding agreements like Aiden had.
discussions.
paid to keep their mouths shut. But
I wasn’t sure if that meant Dante trusted him entirely, or if he simply didn’t see him as a risk. I wanted to believe in Seven’s goodness–I really did–but that little voice in the back of my head warned me that trust was a dangerous thing to give away freely.
Still, that was a concern for another day.
Right now, there was something more pressing
on my mind.
“So…” I said, leaning forward, “you want something to do around here?”
His eyes lit up slightly, hope flickering behind them like the flame of a candle.
I smiled. Good.
Because I wanted something to do, too.
“How about we help each other?”
Seven hesitated for a brief moment before nodding
And just like that, my plan fell into place.
Seven was timid, but he wasn’t weak.
Chapter 131
I wasn’t sure what the future held for us, but I was sure of one thing–there were only a handful of people I completely trusted right now.
Jaxon was still missing.
That should have been a relief, but instead, I had a terrible feeling in my gut, like a storm brewing just over the horizon.
If something happened to me…
If something happened to Dante…
+13)
I needed someone strong. Someone loyal and compassionate. Someone who could be trusted with Castor, with my son, if it ever came down to it.
Seven wasn’t there yet.
But I saw something in him. Something promising.
I had spent years in the Wolfe mansion, learning how to spot potential in people.
And Seven
He had it. Even if it was hard to notice.
Three Months Later
I fidgeted in the elevator, my hands jittery as I turned to Marcelene. “Do you think he’ll like it?”
She groaned. “God, Valencia, you have asked that fifteen times already.”
Caius sighed beside her, crossing his arms. “Honestly, you seem more on edge than he will be. I’m sure he’ll just smile, nod along, and agree with whatever you say.”
I exhaled heavily. “I want him to accept it because he wants it, not just because I do.”
Dante, who had been standing behind me, reached over and intertwined our fingers. His warmth instantly soothed some of my nerves.
“Darling,” he said, voice laced with amusement, “that kid wants anything you want. He practically thinks of you as his mother hen now. He’d gladly accept even if you made him a burnt egg for lunch.”
I scowled. “Why would I give him burnt eggs? I can cook, you know.”
Caius snickered. “Sure you can.”
I shot him a glare, but before I could retort, Marcelene deadpanned, “Well, at least she doesn’t start fires on an electric cooktop stove. One has to be extremely gifted to achieve that.” She side–eyed Caius pointedly.
Caius scowled. “That was an accident.”
The elevator dinged, saving him from further humiliation, and Dante punched in the access code as we stepped onto the thirteenth floor.
Dust lingered in the old hallway, untouched doors lining the walls. We passed them, making our way to the second door.
The scent of smoke greeted me first, curling around my senses.
Then, a familiar lullaby played softly in the background.
+13)
10.23 Fri, Feb
Chapter 131
Castor stirred on the string that connected us, his emotions thrumming in contentment inside his carrybag.
And then, my eyes landed on him.
He stood pine straight, his posture more confident than before.
Bright, ruby–red eyes.
Silver hair, neatly twisted into a man bun.
A silver silk button–down shirt paired with black jeans.
He had changed so much.
Seven’s lips curled into a smile as he strolled forward, confidence in every step.
He bent down, gently taking my hand and placing a soft kiss on the back of it.
“Welcome back, Luna.”
I rolled my eyes. “None of that.”
Then, without warning, I pulled him into a tight hug.
“Happy Birthday!”
Seven stiffened for a brief moment before relaxing, patting my back before slowly pulling away.
Marcelene tilted her head, studying him. “Have you gotten taller”
Caius interjected, “Nah. Valencia’s just short. Everyone looks tall in front of her-
Smack.
Caius yelped, rubbing the back of his head as Dante lowered his hand with a satisfied smirk.
Seven, ever the peacemaker, quickly interjected, “No, actually, I have gotten taller. I’m 183 cm now.”
I studied him, taking in how vastly he had changed in just three months. He was healthier, still on the lean side, but no longer frail. He had always been intelligent, but now he devoured books–Tolstoy, Faulkner, even dense political literature.
He wasn’t the only one who had changed over these past three months. We all had.
Dante had fully embraced his responsibilities as Alpha, stepping into his role with the kind of effortless authority that made it seem like he had been preparing for this his entire life.
He spent his days overseeing the pack, managing
name as powerful as it was feared.
alliances, and handling the business affairs that kept the Steele
Caius, on the other hand, had almost completely taken over the international business operations, handling deals and expanding their business ‘paragon networks‘ across borders.
And then there was the sheer wealth I was still wrapping my head around.
Apparently, our businesses extended far beyond what I had initially thought. I had known about the Paradiso clubs and high–end hotels, but I hadn’t realized we also owned a massive luxury resort in Dubai.
I had only found out when Dante casually mentioned a business trip there, and I nearly choked on my drink.
Chapter 131
+13)
Marcelene had undergone her own transformation as well. She had finished her GCSE and was now training alongside Caius as his assistant. At first, the arrangement had been tense–she and Caius could barely be in the same room without arguing. But after I confronted her about Klaus, something changed.
1 had feared it, but my suspicions were correct.
Her distance from Caius wasn’t just about what I had told her regarding the past. There was something deeper, something that had been festering inside her for years.
When Marcelene had told Klaus about her plans to leave, to protect her mother and carve out her own future instead of staying behind to take care of a father who had spiraled into addiction, she had expected support. Understanding.
Instead, Klaus had judged her.
He had called her selfish for abandoning a father that still needed her, for leaving to fend for himself. And those words, coming from someone she had trusted, had cut her deeply.
I hadn’t realized how much it had affected her until she finally opened up to me one night over tea.
She confessed that the comments from her mother, from Lethia and Celeste about her being “too masculine” had always stung, no matter how much she pretended otherwise. I had thought she wasn’t the type to care about petty insults, but their words had struck at something raw inside her.
She had never wanted to be so hardened, so constantly on guard. But she had needed to be.
With her parents emotionally unavailable and her younger brother looking up to her as a guardian figure, she had been forced into a role that demanded strength. Femininity had taken a backseat to survival.
Klaus had been a rare source of comfort in her life, a friend she had relied on. So when he abandoned her in the moment she needed him most, it only reinforced what she had feared all along.
First her father. Then Klaus.
Then everything that happened with Mario.
The future I had warned her about only added to the weight pressing down on her, convincing her that trusting any man was a mistake.
So, in typical Marcelene fashion, she had built up walls.
And unfortunately for Caius, he had been the perfect target for all the bitterness she carried.
But now?
Now, she was learning to let go. The hatred she once harbored toward him had dulled significantly, and I saw glimpses of something different in her eyes whenever they interacted.
She was still wary, still reluctant. But the change was there. As much as there can be within a mere three months.
As for Aiden, he was in an entirely different kind of mess.
He still hadn’t set a date for his wedding, not that I blamed him. Between juggling his responsibilities in the Wolfe pack and the fact that Jaxon was still missing, he barely had time to think about wedding plans.
Although… calling Jaxon “missing” wasn’t entirely accurate.
Aiden had confided in us that, as far as he knew, Jaxon wasn’t lost He was simply somewhere–and Roman was the only one who knew exactly where.
10:23 Fri, Feb 21
Chapter 131
The problem was, Roman refused to disclose his whereabouts.
3
And with Aiden’s obvious closeness to us, which the Wolfe packad witnessed in the engagement, they had become even more guarded, treating him with suspicion.
Even Drogo Kallistar, his second in command, was left in the dark.
And that made me uneasy,”
Then there was me.
For the first time in two lifetimes, I was trying to figure out what wanted.”
(+13)
I had started spending time in our indoor gym, working on my stamina. I wasn’t training to fight, not yet, but I wanted to be stronger. Faster. More in control of my own body.
And yet, despite all my efforts to be more active, I still found myself sleeping far more than usual–nearly twelve hours a day.
It was frustrating. I had lived my past life constantly running, constantly moving, always forced to work my body to the brink.
And now, here I was, sleeping away half the day like some pampered housecat.
But my body and my baby demanded it.
So I let it.
When I was awake, I spent time managing house affairs, tutoring Seven, and–somewhat unexpectedly–picking up a hobby.
Writing.
It had started as a way to pass the time. A quiet activity, something that let me lose myself in stories of my own making, two months ago..
Nothing too serious yet.
But after everything I had been through–after an entire past life of nothing but hard labor, pain, and suffering–maybe this was exactly the kind of work I needed.
Something that wasn’t physically draining. Something that let me create instead of just endure.
I didn’t know if I was any good at it.
I didn’t know if it would amount to anything.
But for the first time in a long time, I was doing something for me.
And that, in itself, was enough.
For now.
