Page 70 of My Sweetest Obsession
“You did? Is she alive? Is she okay? Can I see her?” She rapidly fired off a flurry of questions.
“Val, calm down,” Malik urged, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. “Just breathe.”
“When she wakes up, we’ll take you to see her,” Enzo added.
“What do you mean when she wakes up?” Valarie asked, her voice trembling.
“She’s unconscious but stable,” Alphonse answered.
“Where did you find her?” Malik asked.
“I don’t think that—” Enzo started, but Malik’s hand shot up, cutting him off mid-sentence.
“Don’t you dare say it doesn’t matter,” he bit out. “Every single goddamn detail matters. Now, tell me. Where. Did. You. Find. Her?”
Enzo let out a long sigh and responded, “The Puppet Master led us to a cemetery...where we found Gigi was buried alive.”
Those last two words slammed into my chest with the force of a bomb, detonating inside my soul. The horrifying image of digging my angel from the cold earth, lifeless and exposed, burned into my mind. I couldn’t imagine what she must have felt in those final moments.
A strangled gasp escaped Valarie’s lips. Her hands flew to her mouth, trembling. “Oh, my god.”
Malik, Dante, and Liam froze, their faces pale as ghosts.
“But she’s alive and safe,” Enzo quickly reassured them. “She’s a fighter,” he added, as if that would erase the nightmare Gigi experienced.
He paused, giving them a moment to process the devastating truth before continuing.
Enzo approached the hospital bed. “Valarie,” he began, “I know you’ve been through an unimaginable ordeal. But I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about how you were found. It might help us understand what happened.”
Valarie nodded weakly. “Okay.”
Enzo pulled a chair to the end of the bed, his notepad and pen ready. “Thank you. Take your time with your answers. Can you tell me, approximately, how long you were underground?”
Valarie’s gaze drifted, unfocused, as she slowly fidgeted with the edge of her hospital blanket. A shiver ran through her. “I... I was there for over twenty years.”
Enzo’s expression remained neutral, though his pen paused briefly. “Were you alone during that time?”
She shook her head, a faint tremor in the movement. “No. My mother, Valentina, was with me.”
“We found human remains in the cell you were being held. Was that your mother?” he asked.
Valarie took a shaky, shallow breath, her eyes welling up.
“What happened to her, Valarie?” Enzo asked, his tone gentle but firm.
“He... beat her to death,” she whispered.
Enzo leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a near murmur. “Who ishe? Who killed her, Valarie?”
After a moment, Valarie composed herself, wiping a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand. “His name is Massimo. My...my father’s brother.”
Enzo’s brow furrowed. “Your uncle?” he pressed.
She managed a slow, shaky nod.
“Wait, uncle?” Alphonse asked. “Giuseppe didn’t have a brother.”
Valarie lifted her gaze to Alphonse. “We didn’t believe it… couldn’t believe it. Not at first.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “But he was there, right in front of us. And he had Father’s eyes, and that same creepy smile.”
