Page 38 of Heir of Darkness

“Yes, I understand. I won’t ever do that. I promise.”

Valerio nodded his head, seeming to accept her promise. With that, they kept walking. Finally, Luna felt like she could breathe again.

SIXTEEN

LUNA

Luna’s feetwere absolutely killing her by the time they returned to the building where her engagement party took place only a few feet away. Being with Valerio had been a pleasant distraction, but she was right back to having the same crippling anxiety from earlier.

“I can’t go in there,” she told him, pulling on his arm. “I look awful.”

And she did with the cut on her knee, the dried-up blood on her leg, her hair ruined, makeup smeared, and the white dress covered in dirt. Not only that, but the man her parents wanted her to marry was in there, probably wondering where his future bride had run off to.

Valerio turned to her, pushing her hair out of her face and running his thumb against her bottom lip. “You look perfect,” he muttered. “You’re incapable of ever looking less than perfect.”

Something in her stomach fluttered so violently. He spoke with such conviction that she almost believed him herself. Instead, she said nothing as he grabbed her hand and walked them inside the busy room. Luna made an effort to brush out her hair with her free hand and wipe the mascara under her eyes, which did help her appearance a little bit.

Everyone looked at the couple with wide eyes. She could have crumbled under their stares, but when her eyes moved over to Valerio, she saw how confident he looked. None of the stares seemed to faze him in the slightest. He walked with his head straight ahead, his eyes holding a newfound determination. It was almost like he didn’t care what anyone thought about him and she wished she could share that quality, but even now her skin crawled wondering what everyone would be saying about her. The rumors they would come up with seeing Luna looking this way, walking in with Valerio Vitali, wondering if their engagement was back on.

She saw the girls staring back at her with eyes wide in shock. Gianna had a wicked smile on her face as if she could see right through her. She owed them the entire story as soon as she got back to the apartment, but for now all she could give them was a small nod in reassurance. She was okay—or at least she would be.

Finn stood beside her parents, his eyes narrowed on Valerio. He most likely wasn’t expecting that Luna would have returned with his enemy of all people, but then again, Luna hadn’t expected it either. Hell, nothing made much sense anymore. But not thinking about it proved to be a lot easier than destroying herself about it. At least for the moment.

Her energy needed to be reserved for her father, who looked ready to kill someone. He was ready to pounce. She swore she could see steam leaving his ears.

He stomped up to the couple, his face red. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he spat out, forcing Valerio to push Luna behind him.

“I came to get my fiancée,” Valerio said in an oddly calm voice. Luna stood on her toes, trying to see over his shoulder. Then she wished she hadn’t. The second her father’s eyes locked on hers, she wanted to run and hide.

“You ran off to find him?” he asked. His hand twitched.

She shook her head. “I didn’t look for anyone.”

“I sought her out. The contract is back on,” Valerio said.

“No! For weeks I tried to get you to agree again. Luna is marrying someone else. That is final,” Reece hissed.

“Who is her fiancé then?” Valerio asked, his head tilting to the side.

Reece ushered with his hand for the other older man to step forward. The same nauseated feeling returned to Luna when her alleged fiancé locked eyes with her. To think her father wanted her to marry him.

“This is Edward Barnes,” Reece said. “He owns large stocks in oil and is a member on several of the same boards I’m on. He can take care of Luna.”

Edward had a large bald spot in the center of his head, creating a big, shiny sphere when the lights reflected off it. His eyes were dark, holding secrets that Luna wanted to know nothing about. Everything about him seemed off and gross, and it wasn’t just because he was her father’s age.

Luna looked at her father in disgust as well. This time her hand twitched out of instinct. A fierce burning rushed through her body.

“You wanted me to marry him?” She stepped out from behind Valerio, confronting her father. His eyes widened in disbelief at her outburst. She didn’t care. Not when he didn’t give a shit about her.

“Watch it,” he warned, his voice low.

Anger rushed through her. It consumed every thought she had. Even Valerio’s hand on her back wasn’t enough to pull her out of it. “You’re a vile, disgusting excuse of a man. A coward?—”

“Watch your mouth!” His hand swiped through the air, attempting to connect with Luna’s cheek, but the sting ofpain never came. Instead, another broad hand stopped it in a frighteningly tight hold.

Luna opened her eyes, not even realizing she had closed them out of instinct to see Valerio’s murderous glare on her father as he towered over him. “So, this is what you’ve been doing? Putting your hands on my wife?” His voice was deathly eerie calm, nearly a whisper but judging by the look of fear on her father’s face, he heard every word loud and clear.

“You don’t know anything.” Reece tried to smooth out the situation. His eyes widened when Valerio pulled his wrist back, not stopping despite the protests from the older man.

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