|| VALENTINA's POV ||
" Hey baby gal, what's up?", I smiled at my phone when I saw the caller ID. It was Emily, my good friend who hadn't been in touch with me for a while. Things going around in Lorenzo's home kept me busy and distracted. At some point, I really had a feeling that I had become his real girlfriend.
Emily snorted coldly,
" You remember me, thank God! I thought that you have completely forgotten about me after being the CEO's surrogate."
I laughed at her dramatic words, teased back after finding the swing to sit down,
" Why? I thought you always had those hot boys accompanying you."
Emily let out a sarcastic groan, and changed the topic suddenly,
" You forgot your promise, didn't you? You promised to hang out with my Valentina. I feel like you have turned boring."
I bit my tongue hard. It went out of my mind that she asked me to hangout with her. But right at this state, I didn't think that it was a good time. Lorenzo had an issue, going in the family. I was 100% sure that he wouldn't allow me to leave the house alone now. But I missed my carefree life. I had always been a free bird who liked to mess around. I could take the dare and fool those guards just for today, couldn't I?
I gave my words to Emily before going up to find my clothes,
" Okay, okay! I am coming, bitch! Come out of your room now! "
__________
" Girl, you scared me! What's up with this tomboy look?", Emily gasped, putting her hands over her chest. I did really scare her but what could I do to distract those stone faced bodyguards?
I was allowed to leave the house just for two things, one was shopping and the other was a beauty salon. I picked the second one, buttered the butler to let me go out. From my closet, I brought a pair of shirts, jeans and a cap to cover my face. Since it was a women's salon, the guards weren't allowed to enter. I used the backdoor to run away from them. But I had a plan to return before Lorenzo came back to the house.
I husted for Emily to keep her voice down,
" Huss.. Let's get out of here first.. Lorenzo doesn't know that I am out here."
Emily gave me a puzzled look then nodded before leading me out through the backdoor. I told them that the spa was going to take more than five hours. So, I had enough time to fool around and came back to the salon. Money could really do amazing things. I convinced the owner of that beauty salon with a few buckets of money. She was heed over heels in joy and agreed to let me use the secret door.
____
The music hit my ears, blocking all the noises around. I liked this bar the most. When I used to date Dylan, we often hung around here. I didn't feel any regrets after how he acted in the store. Sometimes, letting go was another beauty of life.
Emily spoke, drinking her beer pretty loudly,
" So, you are practically grounded?"
I nodded with a snort, drunk the juice with silent tears,
" Hell yeah! Lorenzo is very strict towards me since it's going to be his heir, his legacy."
Emily gasped in surprise, toasting her beer with my juice glass excitedly,
" Oh wow, Valentina! Your son is going to be the heir of the King's empire? How crazy! You will be the empress!"
Unfortunately No!
I was only hired to give birth to this baby. After the birth, Lorenzo would never tell the child that I was his mother. But the thought of seeing my child's bright future put a smile on my face. I drank the juice in a gulp, burying my sorrow into my stomach. Suddenly, my eyes fell on the greek clock, hanging on the wall. My eyes went wide in terror.
Fuck..It was almost 10 P.M. Lorenzo was going to come home anytime.
I bid farewell to Emily, and promised to meet again when I got such an opportunity,
" Emily..I have to go now.. Lorenzo will come home anytime..See you again, bitch."
__________
Half an hour later, they drove me back home without any suspicion. The owner was very kind and waited for my return until she closed the salon. I was fucking alone when I returned to the salon from the bar.
Entering into the hallway, I breathed a sigh of relief when I didn't see anyone around. The lights were still turned off which meant that he wasn't home yet. Lorenzo usually returned from his company between 10:30 P.M to 11 P.M. It was 10:30 when I returned and decided to go upstairs inside my room.
Pushing the door open, I dashed around to turn on the lights but it was switched on suddenly, stunning me at my spot.
" Where did you go?", his deep rambling voice jerked me out of my thoughts. I shuddered, spotted the man, sitting on the couch lazily.
What was he doing in my room like a ghost?
I swallowed hard, pretending to cool as I replied,
" I..I went to the beauty salon..When did you return?"
Lorenzo seemed different to me today. His clothes were disheveled, hairs turned messy. The room smelt like alcohol strongly. I saw a bunch of cigarettes, laying at a corner. Besides, his eyes were red as if he was drunk or angry.
He said nothing to me in return. Gripping the glass in his hand, he approached me, eyeing from head to toe. My body grew nervous subconsciously. Before I had the chance to put a distance between us, he grabbed my arm suddenly, bringing it closer. I let out a surprised gasp but the next thing took my breath away in fear. He read the content from my wrist badge,
" SILVERADO BAR, ML ROAD"
Dead! I felt like the world no longer existed for me. In my height of anxiety, I forgot to throw off the badge that the bar gave to their members. There was no way that I could lie to him anymore.
His grip tightened around my wrist, growled his words out at me,
" You fucking went to a bar when you are pregnant? You fooled me and my bodyguards?"
I stuttered, shaken by his anger,
" Lorenzo..let me explain..I really didn't do anything..I.."
He yanked my hand away like a bird, sneered at me angrily,
" You just proved to me that you are just a stripper, Valentina. You can never act like a civilian girlfriend. How many times did I tell you that you have to prioritize the baby first? Yet you went to the bar to drink and dance. How dare you lie to me?"
His words were like salt on my wound. My lips pressed hard, holding back the sobs that threatened to come out. It was more like I could never be just Valentina without the tag of Stripper. Even Lorenzo made it clear to me today.
I stayed there silently, losing my ability to say anything because once again, I felt how dirty I was in reality in people's eyes. Lorenzo turned mad at my silence. He stumbled on his feet one step and slammed the glass on the floor to shout at me,
" ANSWER ME!!"
I jumped out of shock and subconsciously stepped away but the glass just hit my feet straight instead of getting banged against the floor. Even Lorenzo didn't notice where he was slamming the glass..
" Ahh!", I let out a shrill cry, holding my leg as I fell on the floor. The floor started to turn red in the blink of an eye.....