Chapter 6
1387 Words
Vale had been trapped in that forbidden room for what felt like forever. Her eyes were swollen from crying. She desperately wanted to get out, but she was terrified of bumping into any more of the things inside.
All she could do was weep, mouthing silent apologies over and over. Her heart dropped when the door slammed open. She started shaking violently; just from the scent alone, she knew it was her husband.
Before Dante Romano could even blow up at her, Vale scrambled on her hands and knees toward his feet. She ignored the stinging cuts on her hands from the shattered pieces of whatever she had knocked over earlier. The sheer terror consuming her completely drowned out the physical pain. Dante won’t hurt you as long as you don't cross his boundaries—that was the one piece of advice Celine gave her that she kept replaying in her mind.
Vale pressed her hands together in a desperate plea, her lips moving to mouth "I'm sorry." Meanwhile, Dante stared furiously at the expensive vases now smashed into a million pieces. It wasn't the priceless porcelain that made his blood boil, though—it was what had been hidden inside them: his contraband.
"Damn it! What the hell are you doing in this room?!" Dante roared, his voice booming so loudly it echoed all the way up to the second floor. "Why do you always have to be such a pain, Vale? Are you getting cocky just because I've been nice to you?!" Vale could only shake her head helplessly, unable to say a word.
The next second, Dante yanked her long hair so hard she was forced onto her feet. The blinding pain was ten times worse than anything May had ever done to her.
SLAP!
Dante slapped Valerie across the face, splitting her lip and drawing blood. His strike stung twice as hard as May's ever did, momentarily flashing her back to memories of her cousin.
SLAP!
He struck her smooth cheek again, sending her crashing back down to the floor. Vale desperately wanted to scream, to say something, but tragically, no sound came out. Only her lips moved helplessly, which only riled Dante up even more.
"What, are you mute on top of being blind now?! You useless piece of trash! I should've just run you over and finished the job if you were only going to be a liability. Dammit!"
Dante grabbed her hair again and dragged her out, hauling her frail body down the stairs without an ounce of mercy. The maids watching the horror unfold felt sick to their stomachs, especially Kimmy. Kimmy desperately wanted to jump in and save Vale, but she just couldn't find the courage. Elza, on the other hand, smirked and quietly shot a text to Rania.
"Throw her out, and don't ever let this damn woman back into my house!" Dante barked.
Despite feeling sorry for her, the guards quickly moved to carry out their master's strict orders.
Vale closed her eyes for a moment. She had honestly thought she would finally get a decent life here. Even if she wasn't treated like a real wife, at least she had a roof over her head and enough food. But all that comfort vanished in a heartbeat, all because of her own mistake.
Weak and unsteady, Vale pushed herself up and stumbled forward. Before walking away for good, she bowed deeply toward Dante—a silent apology she couldn't voice.
Dante suddenly froze. Something felt off. Why hadn't she made a single sound this whole time? Even her crying was dead silent. He knew that anyone else would be screaming in agony by now. Yet, Vale just wept in total silence.
The guards only escorted her out past the main front gates. They didn't drag or handle her roughly, choosing to ignore Dante's harsh tone.
"Miss Vale, use this as a cane," one of them softly murmured, handing her a wooden stick to help guide her steps. Vale gave a faint nod to show her gratitude.
The guards went back inside and shut the heavy gates tight. But before Vale could even figure out which way to go, the screech of a car pulling up right next to her cut through the quiet.
"Valerie, get in. Mr. Dante Romano told me to take you to your new place," a woman's voice called out. Valerie recognized it instantly; the woman had come to see her a few times before.
Vale nodded, completely trusting Rania's words. She got into the car without a single shred of suspicion, assuming that Dante was at least kind enough to give her a place to stay.
"Just sit back and relax, Vale. I'm taking you somewhere safe and comfortable," Rania said as she stepped on the gas, driving into the dark streets. Since Vale couldn't see, she didn't sense anything weird. She just let herself be taken away.
After a while, the car came to a stop in an unfamiliar area. Vale assumed this was the house Dante had set up for her.
"We're here, get out. And remember, Val, don't be scared. Someone will take care of you here, as long as you behave," Rania said, opening the door and yanking Vale's hand quite roughly.
"Hurry up and get out, Vale! Don't keep them waiting!" Rania snapped, her patient facade completely gone.
Vale gasped. Reality finally hit her: Rania hated her, there was no way she would just help her out of the goodness of her heart. Vale shook her head violently and tried to pull away, but Rania held her arm in a death grip.
Rania burst into laughter seeing Vale terrified and trying to escape. Moments later, a woman dressed in a skimpy outfit and two heavily built bodyguards approached them.
"Rania," the woman greeted.
Rania stopped laughing, turned around, and smiled. "Hey, Mam. I brought the girl Mr. Dante Romano ordered to be sold to you. Pay whatever you want for her. She's damaged goods, Mam. The boss has no use for her anymore," Rania chuckled. Hearing those words, absolute terror washed over Vale. Was Dante really cold enough to have Rania sell her off?
The woman gestured to one of her guards to secure Vale, while the other guard handed Rania a stack of cash. "Alright, pass on my thanks to Mr. Dante Romano," she said. Rania nodded in satisfaction.
"Oh, and Mr. Dante Romano also said to finish her off after a few guys have their fun with her body," Rania added with a triumphant smirk. Her plan was playing out flawlessly.
One of the burly men stepped up to Vale. As she started thrashing around, the man aggressively grabbed her and pulled a gun, freezing Vale in her tracks. Rania beamed with wicked satisfaction at the sight.
"She's pretty and smells nice, but too bad Mr. Dante Romano doesn't want her anymore. Aside from being blind, she's mute now, so she can't even make a sound. Completely useless," Rania mocked, laughing out loud.
The two bald men and the skimpy-dressed woman joined in on the laughter. "Remember, don't forget that the boss wants her dead soon," Rania reminded them once more.
She glared venomously at Vale. "Listen up, Vale. You're nowhere near good enough for Mr. Dante Romano. Only I am! All you do is cause trouble and break his things. You worthless piece of trash," Rania scoffed, stepping back and gesturing for them to take Vale away before anyone spotted them.
"Miss Rania, can we have a little taste before she's handed over to the clients?" one of the bald men asked, staring at Vale with pure lust.
"Whatever, just make sure you get her out of here right after," Rania replied dismissively.
The bald man felt like he'd hit the jackpot. Blind and mute or not, Valerie was stunning. He was sure the skin under her clothes was incredibly smooth. But just as the bald man was about to tear into the top of Vale's clothes, suddenly...
BANG!
BANG!
To be continued...
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