CHAP 11
1264 Words
"M-Mr. Montevardo, can you please... center Ms. Zamora?" the photographer asked hesitantly.
"Mrs.," Valjerome corrected emphatically and did the opposite.
He pulled me closer to his body. I unconsciously sighed, causing him to look at me.
"Val, this is a triple shoot. For this pose, I should be between you and Chaos, not just by your side," I murmured.
I felt Valjerome's grip tighten around my hip. He leaned toward my ear and whispered,
"I will kill him before he touches you," he grinned.
I shook my head in disbelief. I don't know if I should be afraid of what he's doing or be happy about the attention he's giving me. And because I'm completely stupid, I choose the second.
Maybe it's not wrong to expect, right?
"This shoot won't end if you keep doing this, Val. It's only for now. Act like a professional model. After all, you've already pursued a modeling career, so make the most of it." I stopped smiling at the end, forcing my voice to sound serious.
"But—"
I glared at him. This was the first time I'd done that without feeling anger or resentment.
"Fine," he said in defeat.
He slowly removed his hand from my waist and shot Chaos, who was standing on my other side, a sharp look. The distance between Chaos and me was obvious. Every time he came closer, Valjerome would pull me away.
"Let's start," I said to the photographer before looking fiercely at the camera.
"So possessive, Mr. Montevardo. Maybe your wife will leave you someday," I heard Chaos whisper as he slowly touched the left side of my face.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the tension in Valjerome's jaw as he stared at Chaos's finger touching my cheek. He shut his eyes tightly before placing his hand on my other cheek. They were now both holding my face while staring at me.
"I'm just protecting what's mine," Valjerome said coldly.
"Perfect!" the photographer commented.
Chaos scoffed and leaned closer to my neck.
"Protecting?" he mocked.
"Just try putting your dirty mouth on my wife's skin. I won't let you leave here alive," Valjerome threatened coldly.
I held my breath when, instead of copying Chaos's pose, Valjerome buried his face against my neck. I couldn't help closing my eyes when he gently sucked on my skin.
"BRAVO!"
I snapped back to my senses when the photographer shouted. I pulled away from my husband and acted as though nothing had happened. Embarrassment filled my chest when I noticed the teasing smiles of everyone around us, especially Azy, who looked like he was about to faint where he stood.
"Let's wrap this up. These shots, along with the previous ones, are good," the photographer said.
I gasped when Valjerome pulled me closer again.
"You can stay away from my wife now," he told Chaos.
I unconsciously swallowed, trying to calm my heart, which was beating so fast at that moment.
Wife.
I couldn't remember how many times he'd called me "wife" or "spouse" since things changed between us. But even now, I still couldn't help feeling nervous and happy every time I heard him say it.
He's finally admitting that I'm his wife.
Although he might not mean it the way I wanted, I was satisfied with what was happening. In showbiz, everyone only knew that Valjerome and I were dating. The same was true at his company. Even though a part of me still felt sad, I chose to focus on improving our relationship.
I was pulled back to reality when Chaos smirked and let out a sarcastic laugh.
"You seem like a loving husband, Mr. Montevardo," he mocked.
"Mr. Hevion," I called coldly.
He licked his lower lip before shifting his gaze to me.
"Yes, Jazzie?" he asked.
"I don't know what you really want, but I just want to tell you that you have no right to interfere with me or my husband. Stop provoking him," I said firmly.
Chaos stared at me with his ocean-blue eyes before the corner of his lips curled upward.
"Are you sure about your decision, Jazzie? You'll stay with that man?"
"Yes," I answered immediately.
We stared at each other for a while before Valjerome pulled me closer once again.
"Just because you have connections with my family doesn't mean I'll let you do whatever you want. Know your place, because if you don't, I'll be the one to put you where you belong," my husband said emotionlessly.
Valjerome had told me before that Chaos was one of their investors, so he often attended his parents' gatherings.
"Hmm... and where would that be?" Chaos asked teasingly.
"Sixty-six feet underground," Valjerome answered.
Chaos laughed softly and shook his head.
"You really are good at making jokes, huh?"
"Yes. So good that they often come true," Val replied.
The two of them continued staring at each other. Apparently, that was simply how they exchanged words.
"Mr. Hevion," Azy interrupted.
I was almost grateful because I couldn't bring myself to interfere between them.
"Do you have any more requests?" Azy asked politely.
My lips twisted as I secretly rolled my eyes when I saw my manager casually touching Chaos's bicep.
"Nothing. But I am hoping Ms. Jazzie will have another project with my company," he said.
Valjerome scoffed beside me.
"It's Mrs. And no. She won't be working with you again."
He took my hand and gently led me away.
"V-Val," I stammered after he pinned me lightly against the wall once we were out of sight.
"Tell me, wife. You'll never work with him again, right?" he asked, looking at me softly.
"I-if that's what you want," I replied.
"How about you? What do you want?"
"I don't want to work with him again."
He fell silent for a moment, staring at me as if trying to determine whether I was telling the truth.
"Let's go home," he said before taking my hand again.
I simply smiled and walked beside him. For the entire drive home, he never let go of my hand. I would be lying if I said I didn't like it.
Thank you, God. You changed him.
When we arrived home, he was immediately greeted by one of the staff members. The man was holding a medium-sized black box.
"Someone left this outside the mansion," the staff member reported while bowing slightly.
I stared at the black box tied with a gold ribbon. I was about to touch it when Valjerome grabbed my hand.
"Go to your room," he said coldly.
I swallowed because of the icy tone of his voice. Thinking it had something to do with the Mafia, I simply obeyed. I quietly walked upstairs and headed to my room.
Before I could even close the door, I jumped when three consecutive gunshots echoed throughout the house.
I quickly stepped back and peeked downstairs.
Valjerome was holding a gun. His shoulders rose and fell as he fired at the vase repeatedly.
I was about to go downstairs when his eyes landed on me.
"Go to your room, Jazzie."
I bit my lip as his ruthless eyes pierced through me. For a moment, I felt afraid—not for myself, but for our relationship.
"I SAID GO TO YOUR ROOM, JAZZIE!"
I jolted when another loud gunshot echoed through the house. My knees trembling, I hurried back to my room.
"Calm down, Jazzie. He's just not in the mood. Maybe... maybe something happened in the Mafia. Right! That's all it is," I comforted myself.
Everything will be okay.
- Writer
