"Valentine has been cut off from the world all these years... your grandfather himself cut him off. He must have his reasons, young master. Mr. Giovanni doesn’t just act on impulse," Roberto said."I still haven’t gotten your point... on why I shouldn’t meet him, and why the bloody hell you both took it upon yourself to keep things away from me!" He berated angrily, staring fiercely at them. Elena nervously entwined her fingers, and Roberto sighed in frustration."The both of you..." He pointed to them with a pissed face. "The next time something like this happens again, you will definitely regret it, I promise." He growled and turned his back on them. "Leave!" He seethed coolly as they both trailed after each other and left.As soon as the door closed, Elena rested her back on the door and sighed again. "You should have told him other things about his new uncle," she said to Roberto, who didn’t look good himself."Did you see his face? He wasn’t ready to listen to anything," Roberto
When Valentine reached the foot of the stairs, Damian took his time studying him from head to toe, hoping to find something "Valentine-ish" as Roberto had described. However, he failed miserably.This man embodied sophistication and bore a striking resemblance to his father. Damian couldn't help but notice the determined and strong look in his eyes, similar to his own when he looked in the mirror."Mr. Santoro?" Leonardo's voice interrupted Damian's thoughts, pulling his gaze away from Valentine reluctantly. "What are you doing here?" Damian frowned, unsure who he should address."Calm down, children. Uncle is here to explain everything to you boys. I can't believe you're reacting like this, especially when Leonardo always cared for you in the past," Valentine said smoothly, looking at them admirably, like a father gazing at his children."What are you saying? I have no business with Leonardo," Damian found himself saying, regretting coming here."You said you are my uncle, affirmed b
" 'You just expect me to cook up some story and believe it?' Leonardo asked, his eyes growing darker.Damian shifted his gaze towards him and noticed his struggle with the situation. The turmoil he experienced at that moment was unimaginable.'Wait until I'm finished before you judge,' Valentine said with a straight face. 'Or you can walk through that door and miss the chance to hear the complete story about your family.' He watched Leonardo carefully, as if daring him to leave. Damian felt it too, but he wasn't daring him to go. He swallowed hard and stared at Valentine.'How did I end up in the orphanage when I am supposed to be the son of a powerful man?' Leonardo asked, as if signaling he wanted the full story.Damian turned to Valentine, the man holding the answers to their curiosity.'As I said, your father was matched with Ashmi...' He continued, keeping his gaze on Leonardo. 'When your mother saw this, she...' He trailed off, choosing not to elaborate.Leonardo forced himself
Damian rushed towards Valentine, grabbing him by the collar, his glare as intense as if he could shoot lasers from his eyes. "Do you have a death wish?" He sneered, the smile on Valentine’s face fading as he faced Damian, his expression straight and unsettling."You are the delusional one here, Domenico," Valentine drawled, annoying Damian further, causing him to tighten his grip on the collar."You should let go when it’s time," Valentine stated."I am not letting go of anything! Do you hear me?" Damian released him abruptly, causing Valentine to stagger backward and lose his balance.Staring at Valentine with rough breaths, Damian's fists clenched, ready for a fight. "Don’t play games with me," Damian warned with a chuckle. "I will ruin you," he stated, as if reciting a script, certain it would come true."Think about yourself, Domenico," Valentine lazily retorted, nodding toward Leonardo. "I bet Leonardo would be more than happy to take your position." He winked at Damian, stood up
"The person you assumed to be your grandmother is the mother of the president and Valentine, but not your fathers. Like I said, she was just the chairman’s mistress whom he was madly in love with. But their romance was deemed forbidden, so it was cut off before anything blossomed," Roberto continued.“Why?” Elena asked, seemingly more interested in the story than Domenico."Because she was foreign," Roberto replied. "The rule of the Santoro family states that no first-born son would marry a foreigner, as they must carry on the family’s lineage."“Isn’t that too old-fashioned? And cruel for two lovers who badly want to be together?” Elena couldn’t help but ask."That was the law," Roberto glanced briefly at Elena, then back to Damian."Your father's mother agreed to let go of him to the chairman. And the chairman took him as his golden child because he reminded him so much of his lost love. That’s why he treated your father differently," Roberto stated.“So, it was like him respecting
"Leonardo!" Antonio called in a frustrated tone, snapping Leonardo out of his thoughts yet again as the other man turned his gaze to his frustrated fellow."I think I might have a plan," Leonardo said, noticing the brightened expression on the others' faces."Really?" Antonio started to smile. "Tell us, then."Leonardo stood up, walked to the back of the sofa where he was sitting, and placed his hand on it while slightly bent, staring at his friends."What will you say if I told you that the almighty Domenico Santoro, whom I'm meant to fight, is my brother?" He asked as the room turned silent. Giuseppe stared at him with a pale expression."Are you playing with us?" He asked with a tured tone as Leonardo shook his head, seemingly unable to prove his point any other way."Oh..." Giuseppe started to nod with optimism. "I understand now. Our fight with Domenico is messing with your head that you now say and imagine nonsense." Giuseppe shook his head, now completely frustrated.Antonio's
Ravenna let out an hearty laughter. “Leonardo? The one who shivers at the thought of Damain’s name?” She asked with an amused look on her face as she tried to hold back the laughter that keep trying to come back.“Yes. That one.” Amiri had a serious expression as Ravenna laughed out again. “You know what? You saying stupid stuffs like this with a serious face makes you look stupid, do you know that?” She asked.A smile started to form on Amiri’s face as he said. “They are brothers.” The smile left Ravenna lips as she stared at him with a expression mixed with confusion and surprise.“Suprise!” Amiri exclaimed.“What nonsense?” Ravenna snapped.“Chill.” Amiri moved to her shoulder and kissed it lightly then brought out his phone and played a recording where Leonardo, Giuseppe and Antonio’s voice was heard.Ravenna raised her hand to her mouth as she gasped when she heard the part of Leonardo and Damian related to each other.“What the…..”She breathed as her face turned suddenly pale.
"You'd be shocked if I told you," Damian added immediately, while Ravenna glanced from Damian to Leonardo, who seemed unusually relaxed."What?" Leonardo asked Ravenna with a sarcastic tone. "Why are you staring at me? Tell him."Damian's brow raised as he observed them both. The shocked look on Ravenna’s face faded, replaced by a cocky smile directed at Damian. "Of course, you know why I am here; drop the pretense, Damian," she muttered, meeting Damian's gaze.Damian observed her for a few moments before letting out a light scoff. "It would help if you state things outright because I might get confused," he said, tucking his hands in his pockets as he confidently approached her.He paused, noticing the cocky look still on her face. "Are you playing games with Leonardo?""What games?" Ravenna asked, even though she knew everything was out, calculating how much he knew before revealing more."I guess we're doing this right now," Damian muttered under his breath, the suppressed hate he