I pause by Valentina’s empty desk and frown, feeling unsettled. “Where is she?” I ask the girl that’s walking toward me. I believe she’s one of the new personal assistants that Valentina hired, but I have no idea what her name is.
“Mr. Windsor,” she says, bowing her head slightly. “Val left after receiving a call from her mother. From what I could tell, her grandmother is missing. They don’t know where she’s gone, and she’s been missing for hours.”
My eyes widen as worry sets in. Valentina’s grandmother means everything to her. I have no doubt she’s beside herself. Something this significant happened, and she didn’t feel like she could come to me for help?
“When did Valentina leave here?”
“She’s been away for about two hours now.”
I run a hand through my hair and walk back to my office. How could something like this happen without me knowing? Have I truly pushed her so far away that she no longer feels like she can rely on me?
“Mr. Windsor! I finalized the interview schedule. Please take a look at it.”
I hold my hand up and shake my head. “Not now.”
My office door slams closed behind me, and ten seconds later, I’ve got Silas Sinclair on the line.
“Windsor? Before you ask me for anything at all, please know that Alanna is still mad you ruined Val’s date.”
“Shut up and listen,” I snap. “Valentina’s grandmother is missing. I need you to find her within the hour. She’s old, and she’s been missing for most of the day now. Find her, and make sure she’s fine. I want a medical team on standby too, just in case.”
“You got it,” he says instantly. “I’ll update you every ten minutes. I got you, man. We’ll find her.”
I sit down behind my desk, beside myself with worry. If this was my own grandmother, I’d fucking lose it. Sinclair better come through for me.
I tap my finger impatiently, unable to focus on anything. Should I call Valentina and go to her? Am I even of any help to her right now? If I showed up now, would that only further distress her?
Silas Sinclair: we gained control over all the cameras near her house, and we’re combing through the footage now to see if we can find Val’s grandmother’s trail.
I stare at my phone, feeling like there’s more I should be doing, but unsure what. I cup the back of my neck, unable to calm my racing heart.
A knock sounds on my door, and I sit up, welcoming the distraction. The door opens, and Valentina walks in, her hair disheveled and her mascara smudged. I expected to find panic in her eyes, but all I find is quiet confidence and assertion.
“Luca,” she says, her voice soft. She pauses in front of my desk and stares down at me. I’ve never seen her look at me that way. She’s never looked at me with quite so much trust in those beautiful hazel eyes. “I’d like to make a deal.”
I glance at my phone, but I haven’t received another update from Silas yet, and I’m getting restless. “A deal?” I ask, intrigued.
She nods. “I need something, and I need you to give it your all. In return, I’ll stay. I’ll retract my resignation letter, and I’ll continue to work for you without a single complaint. I won’t leave until you ask me to, and I’ll act like the last few weeks between us didn’t happen. Everything will go back to the way it used to be. I’ll make sure of it.”
I raise my brows, surprised by her bravado. I wasn’t sure she’d come to me for help at all, and if she did, I didn’t think she’d do it in such a calm manner. I thought she’d stumble into my office, begging for my help. I should’ve known better.
“What is it you need, Valentina?”
She hesitates, a hint of doubt creeping into her eyes. “Luca, I need you to find my grandmother for me. She…” Her voice breaks, and she clears her throat as she straightens her back. “She went for a walk this morning, and she hasn’t come home. It’s been five hours, and I’m worried. Find her for me, and I’ll stay.”
I stare at her, taking in the hint of desperation that’s bleeding into her expression. Doesn’t she know I’d do anything for her if she just asks? The only thing I can’t do is let her go. I’m a fucking asshole, and I know it, but there’s no way I can let this chance pass me by. How did I not see it before? This is the solution to all of my problems.
“How much does your grandmother mean to you?” I ask, my voice soft.
Her eyes flash, and she tenses. “She’s everything to me. My grandmother raised me, and I’d do anything for her. I’ll beg if you want me to, Luca. There’s nothing I won’t do.”
I smirk, finally seeing a sliver of hope. “She means everything to you? Then give me everything in return. I’ll make every single resource at my disposal available to you, on one condition.”
Valentina hesitates, but then she nods. “I meant what I said,” she tells me. “There’s nothing I won’t do.”
I clasp my hands and grin. “Marry me, Valentina.” It’s risky, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take. There’s no other way for me to keep her by my side, and this would solve both issues. I’ll get rid of Natalia, and I get to chain Valentina to me.
She stares at me, wide-eyed. “I… what?”
I lean in and rest my elbow on my desk, my chin pressed against my fist. “Marry me. If you marry me, I’ll do everything in my power to find your grandmother as quickly as humanly possible.”
She stares at me in confusion, so I smile at her reassuringly. “I’m sure you’re aware that I don’t want to marry Natalia. My grandmother loves you, so even if she’s mad initially, she’ll accept our marriage eventually. I’m certain that she won’t disown me if it’s you.” In fact, it can’t be anyone other than her. Valentina is the only woman my grandmother would ever accept. I’m surprised it hadn’t occurred to me sooner. It’s highly risky — if Grandma doesn’t agree with my decision, I’ll lose everything. But if I get to keep Valentina close, I think it’s a risk worth taking.
She shakes her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. You… you’re already engaged, Luca. This isn’t…”
I wave my hand and smile up at her sweetly. “Semantics,” I tell her, my heart racing. I need her to say yes. “Tell me you’ll marry me, Valentina. The rest, we’ll figure out later.”
She looks into my eyes, and for a moment, I see a hint of longing in her gaze, but disdain drowns it out. “Yes,” she tells me, her voice soft, defeated. “Help me find my grandmother, and I’ll marry you.”
Relief unlike anything I’ve ever felt before rushes through me, and I smirk. Before I can even utter another word, my phone starts to buzz. I pick it up and read the messages Silas sent me before looking back at my soon-to-be wife, my heart finally at ease.
“We found her. She’s being escorted home right now. She’s fine, but she has some scratches on her hands, and she isn’t sure where she got them. My medical team is with her, and she’s being treated as we speak. From what I understand, she got on a bus and then became confused, so she stayed on it, switching back and forth at each end station.” I rise to my feet and grab my suit jacket. “Let’s go. We’ll head over to your grandma’s house. We should arrive at the same time as she does if we leave right now.”
She stands frozen in place, her entire body tense as I walk around my desk. I pause in front of her, and she looks up at me with an unreadable expression. “You’d already given the order to find her?”
I smile at her and brush the back of my hand over her cheek, my touch tender. “Hey, I’m not the one who wanted to make a deal,” I remind her. “And a deal is a deal.”
I lead her out of my office, unable to keep the smile off my face. It wasn’t until the words left my mouth that I realized this is what I want above all else. I want Valentina as my wife.
