Valentina

I lied.

Correction.

I've been lying to Antonio since the time I discovered Elena's truth. He trusted me with everything. Yet, here I was, driving to meet the woman who wanted nothing else than to destroy the man who considered her dead.

Faking dad's sickness, I had to get out. Elena said it was urgent.

The urgency about the plan she sprouted for long got me so curious that I had to escape in the middle of the night. Antonio bought my lie. He believed Ramon was sick. Little did he knew that it's been months that he and I spoke. Ramon still believes I was helping him. All I was doing was leading him on to believe it.

Upon reaching the old cemetery, I got out. Elena stood in the middle of dilapidated plots.

"What was so urgent that it couldn't wait for tomorrow morning?" I demanded an answer.

Loosening her muffler that coiled around her neck, she spoke. Her low voice caught my attention. She was with someone or was being watched. I looked around but there was nobody present around.

"The Castros would arrive soon and the deal would be executed. I want you to update me on everything from now on. Everything," she said.

Elena eyes darted into the darkness. Upon turning, I witnessed a shadowy figure in the distance. Her mannerisms reveled she was scared. Her palpitated breath and stuttered words screamed it out for me. I felt like she was in danger.

Who could scare an intelligence agent?

"Elena," I moved closer. She remained still, holding her far away gaze. "Tell me what the matter is. Remember, our deal was that we both exchange information."

"That was not what we agreed to," her head snapped sidewise. "Now tell me, how is the consignment coming out?"

"It's going as planned. Everything is. In a few weeks-"

"We will capture all of them all," she finished my statement breathing fog into the cold night.

I knew the Italian twins were working for the Agency and they would go scot free. The all was for the Moralez. We would be at the receiving end of this.

"I have two conditions," I said, snapped her out of whatever reverie she was floating in. Her distant gaze shortened when she turned, facing me. "I need immunity for some people."

Her laughter echoed through the silence, quieting the noises from cricket cries. "You think you have bargaining power here, Valentina? You are just as naïve as the rest."

"I know you think my job would be over when you capture them but you would still need me." My finger danced between me and her. "You would still need to pin this onto them, the crimes they committed."

Letting a half smile, Elena moved closer, placing her hand on my shoulder. "You know, that's why we are catching them in the act. So that it's helpful in extraditing them."

She knew what she was doing, but I was also trained for days like these. "You could only be able to establish proof that they were near the consignment. But their lawyers would be able to give alibies stating it was made to look like this. The Moralez have everyone in their pocket so by the time you establish your case, they would have already hunted you down."

The understanding of the truth made Elena tremble. She looked around as if seeking help from the shadows. Drawing a deep breath, she reluctantly spilled her words. "What do you want?"

"Immunity," I said. "Immunity for all the females and children of the family. In turn, I would give statements against all of them."

"Are you stupid?" she scoffed at me. "You know a wife cannot testify against her husband."

My legs were trembling with the cold wind that blew, shackling my bones to dance on the inside. With my chest taking up the cold wind, I sat down, knees adjusted for shield. Elena matched my height, kneeling in front. Her tolerance to cold was impeccable, at least better than me.

Looking at the shadow that danced behind us, I knew it was a man standing. With Elena watching over me like a hawk, I knew she cared deeply about whoever lingered in the dark.

"A wife cannot testify, Elena but a victim can." Upon my words, her eyebrows touched her hairline and her mouth opened wide. Elena didn't figure it out but I did. "I would testify as a woman who was forced to marry him. My confession would be admitted as the courts and the agencies would treat me as the victim and not the party."

"But who would..."

"My father would state that I was sold to them, or better, I was forcefully made to marry him. He wants his immunity too, I know. So let him do some dirty work too, Elena."

Not that I have known Elena for long but her smirk made me feel as if she was proud of what I concocted. Her eyes dances again into the darkness. "I have to talk to my," she paused.

"Husband?" It was a longshot that I took.

Given that Elena was pregnant and then she said about her cover being blown, I knew it was because of the mole. Her husband and she were both at the Moralez mansion throughout the operation. When she got pregnant, she was pulled out for her safety but her husband remained in place. The one who helped her set the gift in my room.

I watched over as Elena moved to the car, speaking into her walkie-talkie. After long statics and muffled voices, she moved back.

"Done," she smiled and lent her hand for taking. We shook hands, forging the path for another treason. One where I was willing to let go my new family. "We will send the papers after the consignment day."

Before Elena could walk back, I called her out. "Please tell me about the baby."

Her eyes darkened and her face grew pale. She had lied to me about the death of her child the last time we met. What she didn't fathom was my own connections. Nico had discovered documents on her and her child. Although her partner's identity was hidden in most, it was clearly because he was still on duty at our place.

But the baby's information wasn't hidden.

"The baby died when I escaped," she said, moving away, unable to face me.

"Don't lie to a person who will be your trump card at the end, Elena," I said, moving closer to see her eyes glistening with the lie she spoke of.

"He," Elena paused. "He is healthy and happy."

"Is it Antonio's?" My heart slowed its beatings, waiting for her answer.

"No," she was shocked that I even asked that question. "No, it's my husband and mine." Wiping her tears, she straightened up with a long deep breath. "The baby would have blown my cover, so I had to be taken out. It was for me and in my child's interest," she said. With her eyes darting to the dark hooded figure, I believed her words.

"Listen Valentina," Elena whispered when I was getting inside her car. "You would think Antonio loves you but all he wants from any of us is an heir. A child for the kingdom, as he calls. So be careful. Don't fall for his theatrics."

Although heat radiated from the car's slits, my insides still remained cold. There were versions of theories that floated in my mind about Elena and Antonio but nothing made sense.

Dialing Nico, I dropped another set of instructions before driving home.

All he wants is an heir for the kingdom. Those words replayed in my mind all through the drive. Upon cruising through the front gates, I put those words at the back of my mind.

Antonio's room was empty and so was the study. As I turned to my room, his soft voice welcomed me.

"How is he, carino?" He asked. I jumped a step back, making him let out a soft laugh. "Didn't expect me to be awake?"

I bobbed my head, walking towards him. Antonio held my hand, placing me in front of him. Controlling the wild heavings of my chest as the memories of Elena's meeting flood back, I felt my cheeks turning warm. I wasn't blushing, I was scared. Scared for my live and of my families. I was taking a gamble on things that I didn't fully understand.

The chances of it failing me, backfiring at me were high.

Yet, nothing seemed so urgent to stop me from doing it. Not even Antonio; the man whom I carried the notion of being in love with.

"He is doing better, Antonio." I placed a hand over his chest, sliding him into my room. "We can go see him tomorrow if we want."

He smiled in agreement, kidding my knuckle. My insides were revolting to stay straight. I felt as if all my organs were jumbled into a ball, ready to launch out of me. The air in an otherwise airy room felt dry today. Antonio's hold always made me feel warm, yet tonight, it felt as if rain over a wet soil.

My toes curled when he approached me and my skin stretched, trying to pull back from his touch. I was playing a game of treachery where only one could emerge winner.

Antonio dipped his head near my face. I stepped back. "Can we not, for tonight?"

The thought of making love to a man whom I was playing, riled me up. I was ready to throw up the contents of my stomach as Elena's words about an heir revealed itself again. Antonio' gentle touch over my shoulders stabilized the shakings of my leg and the body. For a while, I felt anchored, stable. Under his hold, no harm could come.

But as thoughts would generally do, it let way for doubt. I fell on the bed, hands spread across like wings. The mattress beside me dipped as Antonio sat. "Okay, then what do you want to do, love?"

A rogue tear drained through the corner of my eye. I turned to Antonio, his kind face watching over me. The ball of fire that raged up was extinguished upon seeing his wide green eyes that watched me care and concern.

I was doing him a favor.

"Just hold me," I whispered.

Warm hands coiled around me, transporting back to simpler times. Times when it was fine to detest his presence. The same presence which now I craved like an addict.

"I will always hold onto you, mi vida," he said, placing a gentle kiss over my forehead.

I smiled on the inside. He called me his life. I was his life.

But for how long? 

~

Please do vote and comment if you like the like this chapter.

We are gearing up for the finale, dearies. What do you think would happen?

Would Val be able to tackle Elena alone? 

Or would Antonio be the collateral after all?

Let me know your thoughts.