Her Enemy, Her Shelter

Not just a coincidence

Reina’s POV

The moment Sebastian stood up, everything changed.

His fingers wrapped tightly around mine, firm and unyielding, as he pulled me to my feet. I barely had time to react before he was already leading me out of the restaurant. His grip wasn’t just possessive—it was angry. Protective. Dangerous.

I didn’t dare look back, but I could feel it.

His gaze.

Still locked on Valeria.

Cold. Hard. Warning.

By the time we got into the car, the silence between us was suffocating. I turned slightly toward him, my heart still unsettled from everything that had just happened.

“Sebastian… what was that about?” I asked carefully.

No response.

He didn’t even look at me.

His jaw was clenched, his eyes fixed ahead, his entire presence radiating something I had never seen this intensely before—pure, controlled fury.

I swallowed.

Even I knew when to stop.

So I leaned back into my seat and stayed quiet for the rest of the ride.

When we got home, he didn’t spare me a glance. “Prepare a bath for her,” he ordered the maids immediately, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Then, without another word, he walked away.

Just like that.

I stood there for a moment, watching his retreating figure, my thoughts spinning. But the maids quickly surrounded me, guiding me toward the bathroom.

This time, I didn’t resist.

If anything… I needed the distraction.

As the warm water ran over my skin, my mind kept drifting back to that woman.

Valeria.

There was something about her that didn’t sit right with me.

And I needed answers.

The moment I stepped out, wrapped in a soft robe, I spotted Maria among the maids. Unlike the others, she had been here longer. She knew things.

“Maria,” I called softly.

She stepped forward immediately. “Yes, Mrs. Reina?”

I glanced at the other maids. “Leave us.”

They hesitated for a second before bowing and walking out, shutting the door behind them.

I turned back to Maria, lowering my voice. “What do you know about Valeria… my husband’s ex?”

Maria’s expression shifted instantly.

Not shock.

Something else.

Discomfort.

She looked toward the door as if making sure we were truly alone before speaking. “She used to be around here often… before you came,” she began carefully. “Miss Valeria was… not kind.”

I folded my arms, listening closely.

“She treated the staff very harshly. No one liked her, but no one could speak against her either. The master tolerated her then, so we had no choice.”

That didn’t surprise me.

A woman like her didn’t look like she accepted “no” easily.

“But that’s not all,” Maria added, her voice dropping even lower. “There was a rumor… one I was never sure about.”

My curiosity deepened. “What rumor?”

Maria hesitated again. “That she was sometimes seen… walking secretly with Madam Agnes.”

My breath caught.

Agnes?

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“No, madam,” she shook her head quickly. “It was never confirmed. And I personally never saw them together. But the whispers were there.”

I leaned back slightly, my mind racing.

Valeria and Agnes?

If that was true… then this wasn’t just coincidence.

“Thank you, Maria,” I said quietly.

But as she left the room, one thought refused to leave my mind—

Valeria didn’t come back for nothing.

---

Sebastian’s POV

The night air was cold.

But it did nothing to cool the storm inside me.

I sat alone in the garden, a glass of untouched drink in my hand, my robe loosely tied as my thoughts ran wild. The moment I saw her tonight… everything I had buried three years ago came rushing back.

Valeria.

Of all times to return—why now?

My grip tightened around the glass.

It didn’t make sense.

Nothing about this was random.

Not her sudden appearance.

Not the way she looked at Reina.

And definitely not the rumors I had once heard.

Agnes.

The name alone was enough to darken my expression.

There had been whispers in the past… faint, unproven, easy to dismiss. That Valeria had been seen around Agnes. That the two women had crossed paths more than once.

But I never believed it.

I had never seen them together.

And in my world, assumptions without proof meant nothing.

Still…

Tonight felt different.

Too calculated.

Too deliberate.

I exhaled slowly, leaning back in my chair as I stared into the darkness.

Could they be working together?

The thought crossed my mind… lingered for a moment…

Then I pushed it away.

No.

I needed facts.

Not speculation.

But one thing was certain—

Valeria’s return was not a coincidence.

And whoever thought they could step into my life again… especially now—

Made a grave mistake.

My jaw hardened.

Because this time, things were different.

I wasn’t alone anymore.

My gaze lifted slightly toward the mansion, where Reina was.

My wife.

My responsibility.

My… weakness.

A dangerous calm settled over me.

Whatever game was being played—

I would end it.

And anyone who dared to come after my family again…

Would not live to try twice.