HIS TO LOVE

Chapter3

Valentina clutched the love amulet tightly to her chest, ignoring the angry stares of Alessandro beside her as they drove home in his Rolls Royce.The locket was the only thing about Luca she had in her possession. All his beautiful paintings were burnt to ashes by her father, but fortunately, this locket was well hidden.

She knew she shouldn't bring it out, for fear that Alessandro would seize it, but she just had to. With it, she could feel Luca close to her and with her.

“Luca, uhn,” Alessandro murmured beside her, but she ignored him. “Our marriage is barely a day old, but you're already cheating on me.”

“You of all people should know this marriage is just a sham. A marriage on paper, nothing more.” She replied, with hatred etched in her tone.

Alessandro chuckled, “Well, he left you, remember?”

“And it's non of your business!” She snapped angrily, staring daggers at him, but he didn't flinch one bit.

But as Valentina turned her head to face the window, Alessandro grabbed her wrist with a crushing grip, yanking her back to face him.

"You don't get to talk to me like that," he growled, his dark eyes blazing with fury.

Valentina winced, trying to pry his fingers off her arm. "Let go of me, Alessandro!" she hissed, but his grip only tightened.

"You think you can insult me and just turn away?" His voice was low, dangerous. Without warning, he shoved her against the car's seat, his body looming over hers. "You need to learn some respect."

Valentina’s heart pounded as she pushed against his chest, struggling to break free. "You're hurting me!" she gasped, but he only smirked.

"Maybe you should think twice before speaking to me like that," he sneered, his fingers digging into her skin.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. "You're a monster," she spat, her voice trembling.

His expression darkened. "And you're testing my patience."

Then, without another word, he released her so suddenly that she stumbled, barely catching herself. She clutched her wrist, glaring up at him with hatred.

"This conversation isn’t over," Alessandro warned, his voice eerily calm now. Then he turned his head to face the window, leaving Valentina shaking with rage and fear. “Drive faster!” He shouted at Edgar, his personal driver and right hand man.

“I'm sorry, sir,” he replied, increasing the speed of the car.

Valentina settled back on the seat, careful not to make body contact with him. She still held the locket tightly to her chest, not even Alessandro would make her lose it.

The rest of the drive was tense and silent. The city lights faded into darkness as they sped down the empty road, heading toward Alessandro’s isolated estate. Valentina kept her distance, gripping her locket tightly while Alessandro sat beside her, his fingers tapping impatiently on his knee.

When the car finally turned onto a private road, the massive gates of his mansion loomed ahead. The vehicle came to a smooth stop in the driveway, and before Valentina could react, Alessandro opened the door and grabbed her wrist, pulling her out with force.

“Welcome home,” he muttered, his tone unreadable.

She yanked her arm free, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she followed him inside as the heavy doors shut behind them with a loud thud.

The mansion was eerily quiet. The grand chandeliers cast dim light over the marble floors, and the air felt heavy, almost suffocating.

The silence in the mansion was unsettling, wrapping around Valentina like an invisible force.

Alessandro walked ahead, pulling out his phone and glancing at the screen. His expression was unreadable at first, but then—a flicker of something. His fingers tightened around the device, his jaw clenching.

Valentina had never seen that look on his face before.

Then it happened.

A violent explosion rocked the entire house.

The blast was deafening, a thunderous roar that made the windows shudder and the chandeliers tremble. A blinding flash of orange light flooded through the massive windows, illuminating the foyer for a split second before everything rattled.

Valentina gasped as the shockwave hit, knocking her backward. She barely caught herself against the staircase railing as heat from outside pressed against the walls.

Alessandro, usually composed and unshaken, stumbled. His phone slipped from his grip, clattering against the marble floor as his eyes widened. For the first time, Valentina saw something in his expression she never thought possible.

Fear.

“What the hell was that?!” Valentina gasped, her heart slamming against her ribs.

Alessandro’s breathing was uneven as he turned toward the front doors. His hands curled into fists, but he didn’t move right away. His body was tense, almost frozen in place.

Then, the heavy doors burst open.

Edgar rushed in, his face pale, his breath ragged. “The car—” he choked out. “It has burnt.”

Alessandro snapped out of his daze and pushed past him, storming toward the massive windows. Valentina followed, her legs shaking as she reached his side.

Through the thick glass, the driveway was ablaze.

The sleek black car they had stepped out of minutes ago was nothing but a burning wreck, flames twisting into the night sky, thick black smoke billowing upward. Shattered glass littered the ground, and the faint, metallic scent of fuel filled the air.

Valentina’s stomach churned. If they had been inside that car even seconds longer…

Alessandro’s face had gone pale. His eyes darted across the flames, scanning the darkness beyond the gates, his mind racing.

This wasn’t random.

Someone had planned this.

Someone knew exactly where they would be.

His hands trembled slightly as he exhaled sharply, trying to compose himself. He had dealt with threats before—but this? This was different.

Valentina turned to him, her own fear barely contained. “Who—” she swallowed hard. “Who would do this?”

Before Alessandro could answer, the lights inside the mansion flickered violently.

Then, all at once—they cut out completely.

Darkness swallowed the house.

And from somewhere outside, beyond the gates, in the depths of the night…

A single gunshot echoed.