~Valeria's pov~

"James and Killian, I want you both to go upstairs." Verena, my oldest sister, commanded firmly, her voice brooking no argument. 

James and Killian exchanged nervous glances before obediently heading up the stairs.

 I turned to face my sisters, trying to gauge their anger and figure out what had caused them to show up unannounced. 

Verena stood up, her expression unreadable as she crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing with a mix of disappointment and concern as she stared at me with a stern look.

My heart pounded in my chest, knowing that I was in for a serious lecture.

Despite being the youngest in the family, I had never been more afraid of anyone than Verena in that moment.

 Her unwavering authority and steely demeanor commanded respect and obedience from us all. And as she began to speak, her words were sharp and cutting, leaving no room for argument or escape.

"Valeria Kaiser.." She gritted out.

"I'm actually Valeria Vox-" I stopped talking when she glared, feeling the weight of her disapproval bearing down on me.

"If only your husband remembered you were his wife, you'd truly be a Vox."

Verena's words stung like a slap in the face, making me flinch involuntarily. The tension in the room was palpable, suffocating me as I struggled to find the right words to defend myself. 

But at that moment, I knew that there was no use in trying to reason with her. So I stood there silently with my head bowed, letting her words hang in the air between us.

 It was a painful realization that even though I held the title of wife, I was nothing more than a forgotten presence in his life.

"You told us that you were fine. That you were okay. But clearly, that was all a lie," she continued, her voice dripping with contempt. "If everything was truly fine, why did you go to such extreme lengths as pretending to end your life in front of the entire world? What about the fact that you killed your entire MAFIA ORGANISATION in a fit of rage? How could that have been fine?"

"It wasn't a fit of rage. I planned it out-"

"WHAT IF YOU HAD GOTTEN KILLED FOR REAL? " She interrupted, her eyes blazing with anger. "Do you have any idea how much danger you put yourself in? And for what? To prove a point?"

I flinched at her words, feeling the weight of my actions crashing down on me. I had thought I was being clever, manipulative, but now I could see the hurt and betrayal in her eyes.

"Val. Look .At .Me .When .I'm .Speaking " she commanded, her voice low but filled with authority. Reluctantly, I met her gaze and saw the mixture of emotions swirling in her eyes.

Guilt, anger, and betrayal.

"I won't stand by and watch you put yourself in harm's way like that again," she said firmly. "You

 are not invincible, and neither am I. Stop pretending like you fucking are! Besides, even if you did it, why didn't you warn us before?! Do you know the heart attack we got when we found out you were in that situation? 

Do you even care about the people who care about you?" Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, and I realized just how selfish and reckless I had been.

"I'm sorry-"

"No, you're not. I'm a hundred percent sure you're going to do this again because you're doing it all for that man! That man who you call your husband but who doesn't deserve you at all."

"NO!" I yelled back, my voice cracking as tears rolled down my eyes. "H-He does deserve me.. h-he just lost his memory, and he's not himself right now. I have to be there for him, no matter what." I rambled on, trying to justify my actions to Verena, who had just confronted me.

She gently held my face in her hands, her expression softening as she used her thumb to wipe away my tears.

"Are you even sure he has amnesia ?" she asked gently, her voice filled with concern. "You can't keep making excuses for him, Valeria. You deserve to be with someone who treats you with love and respect, memory loss or not. Don't sacrifice your own happiness for someone who may not even remember who you are."

I pushed her hand off me as I backed away , feeling defensive and hurt by her words.

"You don't understand, Verena," I said, my voice wavering. "I love him. I can't just abandon him when he needs me the most."

Just then, Valentina came from behind Verena and hugged me tightly.

"I know you love him, Valeria. But love is not supposed to hurt. And it shouldn't make you feel like you have to sacrifice your own well-being for someone else's sake. We're not telling you to leave him-"

"I want her to leave him." Verena interjected, making Valen, Vic, and Van glare at her.

Valentina hugged me tightly, wrapping her arms around me protectively.

"Vero," Valentina started, "you don't get to make that decision for her."

Vic and Van all nodded in agreement with Valentina. Verena crossed her arms and looked away, clearly frustrated. Valentina turned back to me, her eyes filled with concern.

"Val, sweetie, I know how you feel; I have a husband and two kids too . But at the end of the day, your happiness and well-being should come first. Please don't do stuff like this for him-"

"I didn't leave the mafia for him. Well, it was part of the reason, but didn't you all also want me to leave the mafia for my own safety and to start a new life?" I interrupted, my voice tinged with a hint of defensiveness. 

I took a deep breath before continuing, "I made the decision to leave for myself, not just for him. And I don't regret it, even if it means sacrificing certain things."

"Well, it was stupid. You killed more than 100 men, and now you're just going to walk away from it all?" Verena replied, shaking her head in disbelief. "You can't just erase your past like it never happened."

I gritted my teeth as anger surged within me. I tried to get closer to her, my fists clenched and ready to defend my choices, but Vic held me back.

 Her strong grip reminded me of the consequences of my actions if I let my emotions get the best of me. Taking a step back, I forced myself to calm down and meet Verena's gaze steadily.

"I might not erase my past, but I have the power to shape my future from it." I said firmly. "And haven't you heard the old saying?

 'Once you're in the mafia, there's no way out alive.' That's why I decided to make sure there was no one left to stop me, which resulted in me killing more than a hundred men over the years. 

But now, I want to leave that life behind and start fresh. Isn't that what you wanted?" I replied, with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

Verena just sighed and rubbed her nose bridge, her expression unreadable. She held my gaze for a moment before finally speaking.

"Do whatever you want. You never care to listen to me anyway."

I could sense the frustration in her voice, and it made me feel guilty for not taking her advice more seriously in the past. 

Verena had always been there for me, trying to steer me away from the dangerous path I had chosen.

But now that I finally did listen to her, why was she so angry?

I glanced at her expression before she turned away and made her way towards the door.

 I watched as she grabbed her coat from the hook, the sound of the door closing echoing in the tense silence as she left without another word. 

I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret as I realized that this time, Verena wasn't just giving me advice - she was done trying to save me from myself.

~Verena's pov~

I walked down the path lined with trees, their branches swaying gently in the afternoon breeze. 

The fallen leaves crunched beneath my feet, releasing a faint earthy scent that mingled with the crisp autumn air as I navigated through the tranquil and serene setting.

 The fading sunlight cast a golden glow over everything, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

As I continued on my walk, I came across a bench nestled under a tall oak tree. I decided to take a moment to rest and gather my thoughts. 

I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a cigarette, letting the familiar routine ease my troubled mind. 

The smoke curled upwards, vanishing into the serene autumn scenery that surrounded me. As I exhaled, I looked up at the sky, watching the wispy clouds drift lazily by.

"Mom dad... I miss you both. It's hard... It's hard to take care of all of them now that you're gone, especially Val. She's like a tornado in a teacup, always stirring up drama." I whispered softly, my words mingling with the rustling leaves and drifting away on the gentle breeze, as if sharing my burdens with the whispering wind.

 A wave of memories engulfed my thoughts, the bittersweet recollections of my parents overwhelming me as I shut my eyes, a deep ache of loss settling in my chest.

"Especially, Val. She's so stubborn! She always has to have things her way, no matter how it affects those around her. I can't count the number of times she's caused unnecessary drama and complications with her attitude. Sometimes I want to punch her in the face, but she's stronger than me, so she might hit me back." 

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down and push away the anger that threatens to consume me.

"But you know... Mom... She looks just like you . It's almost like you never really left us. Her stubbornness, her fire, her determination—it all reminds me so much of you. And I can't help but feel grateful for that. Even though she drives me crazy sometimes, I wouldn't change a thing about her." I mumbled as I looked down at the cigarette in my hands.

"And she's so crazy over that stupid boy, Alton. Like Mom, I don't get it?!! Maybe he has a secret talent for juggling watermelons."

I took another drag, the smoke swirling around me as I tried to gather my thoughts.

"He's not even that good looking; he's average at best." I shook my head, laughing to myself at the irony of it all.

 "Yet, in the game of love, blindness seems to be our most common trait, doesn't it?" I chuckled, the sound hollow and bitter in the still afternoon air. 

Despite everything, I couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the days when things were simpler, when my mother and father were still alive and my sisters were just little girls who loved to mimic everything I did. 

Things had changed so much since then, and yet some things remained the same.

I got up from the park bench, my mind still lost in memories, and decided to finally toss the cigarette into the nearby trash bin.

I guess it's time to go meet that bastard that has my sweet little Val so in love with him...