Chapter five

Valentina rushed back home, she didn't break up, she didn't cry, her face didnt betray her emotions, but her heart shattered, she cursed herself for hoping something in her heart, after all that happened five years ago how could she think they could ever be a couple.

When valentina reached home around 10pm, Ms Natalia had already gone back to her bedroom, as always Julian was glued to his video game, Amber had returned home but Alexa was waiting for her. The moment she walked in, Alexa could feel something was wrong so she followed her to her room.

"What happened val, is everything ok" Alexa asked. Can you just leave me alone, Alexa". "No i won't val am sorry but you need to pour your heart out tell me all that happened" Alexa insisted. "I don't want to talk about it," Valentina insisted. "Val, am your one and only closest friend, your sister, your assistant and your right hand, don't you trust me enough to tell me anything val, you can be the black eagle to the underworld, you can be the ruthless C.E.O to the world, but with me you can always be vulnerable and safe, I would never judge you and I would always be there for you, always, plz tell me what happened Val" Alexa insisted.

"Just like before, he has no feelings for me, to him am just a business partner and an old acquaintances, am nothing to him, he has a girlfriend, and my stupid heart was hoping for something, I let myself fall once and I was hurt, and yet again I let myself fall again for the same person, just because he was been nice I thought he likes me, just because he remembers my favorite food, what am allergic to, and even my favorite wine or what intoxicates me, I thought I was special to him" valentina said her icy exterior breaking.

"Val, you can only find peace when you let go of the past and settle what happened in the past, take no baggage of the past to the future, it would hunt you down," Alexa said.

10 years ago.

"Stop pulling my cheeks Ethan", a young valentina whimpered. "I won't, you have such cute and chubby cheeks I can't help but pull," Ethan said jokingly. "So you mean I am fat, I won't spare you, you meanie" valentina said her face full with anger as she chased Ethan up and down. After running for a while she became too exhausted to run, and put her chubby little hands on her knees panting. Ethan who was ahead of her noticed she wasn't running again and walked back to her. "What happened fatso, tired already huh" Ethan joked. "One day I would teach you a lesson, meanie" Valentina said with anger." Awwn what a cutie you are when angry" Ethan joked pulling at her cheeks again. "I won't talk to you again" valentina whimpered as she matched away, chanting, "Ethan is a meanie am not going to talk to him again". Ethan chuckled at her cute reaction. Ethan Blackwood and valentina de Luca met in an art class and became friends shortly. It was part of the aristocratic rule to have one hobby in art, be it music, painting or writing, it was a means of leisure and a way to interact with other aristocrats as most of their lessons and studies were conducted at home by professionals.

Ethan was part of the painting team and valentina was into music. They became good friends and we're quite close. Ethan was 3 years older than valentina and he always finds her cute especially when she is angry. They both were fond of breaking the aristocratic rule and sneaking out of school and running away despite the tight security. Ethan protected valentina like an elder brother but with time his feelings evolved from like to love slowly, unlike the other rich girls valentina loved to be herself, she wasn't fake, she helped others, she was so nice and sweet and never takes advantage of people and most especially she never bootlick, she always said, "I am valentina de Luca, I don't need anyone and no one can match on me", she was proud of herself. With time she evolved from the cute little valentina whom he always teased and pulled on her cheeks to a beautiful young lady.

Valentina also loved Ethan, he was flirty for sure, protective, nice loving and overall handsome, he treats her as thou she is the only girl in the world. And she always felt butterflies dancing in her belly whenever he flirts with her or compliments her.

Days and months turn into years and their bond and feelings get even stronger. It has been 5 years since they knew each other now and in both their hearts they knew they wanted to spend their whole lives together, they were aware of their feelings for eachother but they were waiting for the right time to confess.

One day valentina was already ready to profess her love to Ethan she was more than positive he would tell her he loves her as well, she had texted him to meet at their usual place. Minutes turned into an hour but Ethan hadn't shown up yet. When she was about to leave she saw Isabella Ambrose walking towards her with a sly smile.

Valentina and Isabella didn't like each other a bit, Isabella always wanted to demean others and step on them, she was the typical mean girl. Her enmity with valentina started when Isabella was bullying one girl whose parents weren't as rich nor as Influential as the rest of them. Valentina ratted her out and warned her to never think of bullying others else she would become her nightmare and that's when Isabella swore enmity with valentina, and things only got worse when Isabella professed her love to Ethan and he rejected her.

"Hello dear valentina, are you waiting for Ethan, don't worry sweetheart he won't show up, he didn't see your message, I saw it and I deleted it, but i did it only to save you from the humiliation of rejection" Isabelle said. "How dare you Isabella, can't you just mind your business, how dare you snoop your nose around my matter with Ethan, but you know what, I have no time for your rubbish". Valentina said as she made her move to leave.

"Honey I would like to see this video before you leave", Isabella handed her phone to valentina. Valentina had no time for her rubbish but the moment she heard Ethan's voice she halted.

The video was of Ethan and Isabella.

In the video, Ethan was holding Isabella and apologizing. "My love am sorry I had to reject you like that, I thought I didn't love you but now I can't live my life without you, I love you Isabella baby" Ethan professed.

"What about valentina? I thought you loved her", Isabella asked. "No dear I don't love valentina at all I only love you, she is just a friend and an acquaintance. You know her family's business is really good and my friendship with her would help me and my business in the future and that's all about it, you are my love, my life, my heart my everything. If I can't honey trap her anymore with friendship I can even fake love to her" Ethan said. "Promise" Isabella asked. "I promise baby" he replied and he pulled Isabella in for a kiss that's where the video ended.

Valentina felt her heart shattered to millions of pieces but she couldn't break in front of Isabella. "Good, it's good he loves you, just take care of his heart, it would be the best thing you could ever have," Valentina said before running off. When she reached home she cried so much and missed school for the whole week. When she resumed school after collecting herself back together. The moment she walked into school she met Ethan, she had ignored him all this week. When he came to her house she refused to meet him under some excuse, she didn't pick up any of his calls nor replied to his messages.

"Where have you been babe, I missed you so much I was so worried about you" Ethan hugged valentina. "What happened with you,why did you disappear just like that" Ethan asked again

"Am alright, " Valentina said coldly. "You don't sound ok to me", Ethan insisted. "I said am okay just leave me alone Ethan". "Since you say so, but I want to tell you something, Valentina, I really really love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I really hope you feel the same about me" Ethan asked with eyes full of anticipation. For a minute, just a minute Valentina wanted to believe it but she knew better.

"Do you want to know what I feel about you Ethan Blackwood", Valentina asked, Ethan was taken aback because this was literally the first time valentina called his full name. "I don't love you, Ethan. And I don't even want you as a friend anymore, in fact I don't even want to see your face ever again Ethan blackwood now leave me alone for goodness sake".

Ethan's heart shattered, he moved and valentina walked away, he didn't know what to do or say, he walked out of school and went back home directly. He told his father that he wanted to travel out of the country and complete his education abroad and his father agreed knowing how his son felt. And that was the end of a 5 year old friendship and love.

From that day, valentina worked and strived to be a successful businesswoman, that is how she built the font of a strong, ruthless and cunning business woman.

While Ethan left the country and also built a new identity for himself. Even thou he was still flirtatious, but he had become so cold and Ruthless that he could plan your death with a smile on his face.

He did his best to stay away from girls as much as he could, he still loved valentina and he believed that she also loved him and something was the matter that's why he kept flirting with her and asked her out for dinner, he wanted his friend back as well as his love but Alessia had to ruin it all.

He didn't love Alessia, she was too persistent and pulled a lot of stunts in front of his house and family hence his father asked him to take her out maybe he could start loving her. But she ended up ruining his meeting with valentina.

Back to the current time.

Ethan stood in his paint room and looked at his favorite painting of his angel valentina. It was a painting of when they were younger and she was chasing after a butterfly. Daniel walked in and said, "falcon tonight is the underworld meeting with the black eagle, are you ready" he asked. "Don't worry, I would be ready in 20 min get the car ready," Ethan said