Becoming Mrs DeLuca novel Chapter 87

**Through Shadows We Painted Our Forever** by Erynn Vel Coren

**Chapter 87**

**VALENTINA**

“I don’t know what to do.”

The words escaped my lips as I faced my reflection in the mirror the following morning. My hair hung in damp strands around my face, remnants of the restless night I had endured. The coffee I had brewed sat untouched, now a cold, bitter reminder of the chaos swirling in my mind. My heart raced, still echoing the frantic rhythm it had taken since I stepped out of Serena’s room the previous night.

Sleep had evaded me, arriving only in fleeting moments, each time interrupted by the creaking of the house or the imagined sound of footsteps echoing up the stairs. At one point, I could have sworn I heard movement from above, but I had refused to look, too terrified of what I might find.

Standing there in the harsh bathroom light, I hardly recognized the woman staring back at me.

“Mom?”

Stefan’s small, hesitant voice drifted through the door, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. “Can Ethan come again today?”

I cleared my throat, forcing a semblance of normalcy. “Not today, sweetheart. Maybe this weekend, okay?”

His disappointment was palpable, but he didn’t press further. “Okay.”

I listened as his footsteps retreated down the hall, and I shut my eyes, pressing my palms against the cool countertop.

I had promised Serena I would contemplate helping her escape, but I hadn’t truly meant it—not at first, anyway. Yet, the more I tried to dismiss her plight, the louder her voice echoed in my mind, relentless and haunting.

‘He doesn’t love you. You’re just property to him.’

‘Once you stop belonging to him, you’re disposable.’

Adrian’s words from our last conversation had only added fuel to the fire of my anxiety. The anger that had laced his voice, the way he had unraveled when I mentioned Serena—it had been unlike anything I had ever witnessed. He had sounded… guilty. Cornered.

I dried my hands, inhaled deeply, and made my way downstairs.

By noon, the kids were engrossed in a movie in the den, Milo and Luna curled up on the rug beside them, their eyelids heavy with sleep. I poured myself another cup of coffee, though I wasn’t sure I wanted it, and leaned against the kitchen window, staring out into the yard.

Elia stood outside by the car, phone pressed to his ear. He had been distant lately, observing me with that same quiet intensity that had always marked his demeanor—professional, loyal to Adrian, perhaps to a fault.

I needed to tread carefully. If I helped Serena, even inadvertently, and Adrian discovered it, there would be no way to justify my actions.

My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts.

Adrian: I’m sorry about yesterday. I’ll bring something special for you and the kids.

18:37 Fri, Nov 21

With a sigh, I turned away from the counter, only to nearly jump out of my skin.

Serena stood in the doorway, a ghostly figure against the light.

“How—” My voice faltered, cracking under the weight of surprise. “How did you get down here?”

She offered a faint smile, a finger pressed to her lips. “Quiet. Elia’s outside.”

My heart raced, a wild drumbeat in my chest. “You shouldn’t be here. You can’t just—”

“I can’t stay up there forever,” she whispered, stepping further into the kitchen. “I needed to talk to you. You said you’d think about it.”

“I did. And I still am.”

She tilted her head, her gaze penetrating, as if she could read the tangled thoughts I struggled to conceal. “You’re scared.”

“I have kids, Serena. Do you really think I can just risk everything because of something you claim happened years ago?”

Her expression flickered, a shadow crossing her features. “You think I’m lying?”

“I don’t know what to think.” I raked a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. “But walking into my kitchen like this isn’t helping.”

“I had to see you.” Her tone softened, the urgency in her voice palpable. “You’ve been avoiding me. I thought maybe you’d changed your mind.”

“I just…” I shook my head, feeling the weight of indecision press down on me. “This isn’t simple. Even if I wanted to help you, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

She moved closer, her eyes glinting with determination. “You don’t have to do much. Just distract Elia long enough for me to leave. There’s a service road behind the garden. I can walk from there.”

“Walk where?”

“Anywhere but here.”

Her unwavering certainty sent a chill down my spine. “And then what? You don’t think he’ll notice you’re gone? You don’t think he’ll suspect I had a hand in it?”

Her voice softened, almost pleading. “Not if you make it look like something else.”

I frowned, confusion swirling in my mind. “Something else?”

“A small fire. A short circuit. Something that leaves the room burned and unrecognizable.” She leaned in closer, her eyes bright with fervor, her words spilling forth in a hurried whisper. “He’ll assume I died in it. You’ll be free. I’ll be free. Everyone wins.”

“That’s…” I stumbled over my thoughts, the absurdity of her plan freezing my words mid-sentence. “That’s insane, Serena. Not only will I be putting my home at risk of a fire, but there’ll also be no body!”

Serena groaned, frustration etched across her features, but I raised a finger before she could interject.

“And then you just vanish? What about your children?”

Her face darkened for a fleeting moment. “They’ll be fine.”

“Fine?” I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper. “They think you’re dead. Do you have any idea how confusing this will be for them? Especially for Stefan?”

Something flickered in her eyes, a flash of something I couldn’t quite grasp. “You think I don’t love them?”

“I think you’re desperate,” I replied carefully, my heart heavy with the weight of my words. “And desperate people do dangerous things.”

Her expression shifted, anger flaring in her gaze. “You sound just like him.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Well?” she asked, her eyes bright with anticipation.

“I found something,” I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. “He… he really did it.”

Serena’s expression didn’t shift; she simply smiled, a knowing look in her eyes. “I told you.”

“Serena—” My throat tightened, the weight of the question pressing down on me. “If I help you, I need to know one thing.”

“What?”

“Did you ever hurt your children?”

The question hung in the air, heavy and charged.

Her eyes widened, then darted away, a flicker of offense crossing her features. “Why would you ask that?”

“Because Adrian said you—”

“Adrian said what?” Her voice snapped, sharp and accusatory.

“That you drugged them.”

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Then Serena laughed, a sound that sent chills down my spine. “He really told you that?”

“Serena, just tell me—”

She stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with intensity. “You think a mother could do that? You think I could do that?”

“I’m asking—”

“No, you’re accusing me.” Her voice trembled, low and dangerous. “He’s gotten into your head too.”

“I just want the truth!”

“The truth?” She leaned in, her face inches from mine, her breath warm against my skin. “You couldn’t handle the truth if I screamed it into your ears.”

I stumbled back, my shoulder colliding with the door.

Then, just as suddenly as her fury had erupted, it dissipated. She exhaled slowly, smoothed her hair, and offered me that same gentle smile. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just… tired. Tired of being painted as a monster.”

I swallowed hard, my heart racing. “When do you want to leave?”

Her eyes sparkled with determination. “Tomorrow night. After the children are asleep.”

I nodded slowly, still trembling with uncertainty. “Okay.”

“Good girl,” she murmured, her voice low and soothing.

Her hand brushed against my arm, and I fought the instinct to recoil from her touch. I could feel the chill of her fingers lingering long after I had left the room.