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Chapter 46: The Waiting Room
publish date:
2026-06-30 20:53:45
Latest chapter
Valerio's Secretary Chapter Forty-Eight: The Flowers
Zara's POV"Valerio, darling," she says, her voice smooth as silk. "I was just coming to see you."She steps forward and kisses him—a full kiss, her hand sliding up his chest, her body pressing against his, and he doesn’t pull away. He lets it happen; his arm wraps around her waist, guiding her toward his office, without a glance back at me. I stand frozen at the elevator doors, the sound of their footsteps fading down the hall. The glass wall beside me reflects my own face, pale, eyes wide, with lips pressed tight. The humiliation burns hot in my chest, spreading like fire under my skin. “You were reading too much into it,” I tell myself, but the words feel hollow. The texts, the concern, and the almost-touch in the elevator…it all meant nothing. I walk to my desk on shaky legs and sit down, staring at my computer screen. My hands tremble as I force myself to take long breaths.In. Out. In. Out.“You are his assistant. Nothing more.” But the lie tastes bitter on my tongue, because
Valerio's Secretary Chapter Forty-seven: The Return
Zara's POVI wake up with Liam curled against my side, his small hand fisted in my pyjamas. His forehead is cooler now; the fever has broken. I press my palm against his skin and feel relief wash over me like a wave. His breathing is steady, his cheeks no longer flushed with that terrible heat. He is going to be okay.I slip out of bed carefully, not wanting to wake him, and head for the kitchen to make tea. I stare out the window, watching the sun rise over the city as I sip. I should feel relieved and grateful, but all I feel is exhaustion and emptiness.My phone buzzes on the counter.Valerio: How is he this morning?I stare at the message, the memory of the number of times I tried to tell him about Liam back then, fresh in my memory like it happened yesterday. Three years ago, I had the test in my hand, heart pounding as I waited for Valerio to come home. I had imagined the moment so many times; his eyes widening, that rare genuine smile breaking across his face, his hands on m
Valerio's Secretary Chapter 46: The Waiting Room
Zara's POVI don’t remember leaving his office.One moment I am standing there, frozen, watching the hurt in his eyes. The next, I am in the elevator, pressing the button for the parking garage over and over, my hands shaking so badly I almost drop my keys."Go home, Zara." His voice echoes in my head. "I am not asking. I am telling you."I’m already driving before I realize I have started the engine. The city blurs past me: red lights, stop signs, pedestrians, but my mind is still in his office, still replaying the way he looked at me when I told him about Liam. The concern in his voice and the way he said my name like a plea.“He would be a good father,” I think, if he knew.I push the thought away. I cannot afford to think about that now. I have to get home and check on Liam. I have to—My phone buzzes in the cupholder, and I glance at it at a red light.Valerio: Text me when you get home. Let me know how he is.I stare at the message for a long moment, my thumb hovering over the k
Valerio's Secretary Chapter Forty-five: The Fever
Zara’s POVI jolt awake to Liam’s small body burning against mine.The clock on his nightstand glows 3:17 a.m., and his skin feels like fire. I press my palm to his forehead, and my stomach drops. The fever has spiked hard, his cheeks flushed scarlet, his breathing shallow and fast. He whimpers in his sleep, tiny fists clutching my shirt tightly, and my heart breaks at the sight. "Mommy..." he whimpers, eyes still closed."I'm here, baby. I'm right here.” I whisper, voice cracking as I sit up and gather him closer, his little body trembling. I strip him down to his diaper, press a cool cloth to his forehead, and reach for the thermometer on the bedside table. I watch the numbers climb…103.8. Panic claws up my throat.I rock him gently, humming the lullaby he loves even though my voice shakes, while he makes soft, pained sounds that break my heart. I grab the children’s fever reducer and manage to get some into him with a sippy cup of water. He drinks a little, then curls back agains
Valerio's Secretary Chapter Forty-four: The Hollow
Valerio's POVI take the long way, circling the block twice before I finally force myself to park. Every red light feels like a warning, and every turn feels like a mistake. I tell myself I am doing the right thing. Clara is my fiancée, and Zara does not want me.But none of it helps. My hands grip the steering wheel so hard my knuckles ache. Zara's face keeps burning behind my eyes, the way she looked at me in the dim hallway, lips parted, breath trembling, her body so close I could feel the heat of her through the thin fabric of her clothes. The way her voice cracked when she told me to leave. “Leave, Valerio.”I had almost kissed her; I had almost said fuck the rule, fuck the consequences, fuck everything, but…she pushed me away. “She told you to leave,” I murmur to myself, the thought like a knife twisting in my chest. “She doesn’t want you.”I should feel relieved, but the rejection feels like acid in my stomach.I pull up outside Clara's building and kill the engine. For a lo
Valerio's Secretary Chapter Forty-Three: The threshold.
Zara’s POV The apartment door clicks shut behind me, and I lean against it for a second, eyes closed, trying to steady the storm inside my chest. Valerio’s silent treatment is having an effect on me, and I shouldn't care, but that's not it, because I saw how he looked at me across his desk, like he's fighting the same pull. Then he asked about Liam and that tiny part of me that still clings to the past gets hope. I had texted that Liam wasn't well, and that I might be late to work though I made it just in time. I drop my bag and walk straight to Liam’s room. He’s awake, propped up against pillows with flushed cheeks and glassy eyes. Mrs. Rivera sits beside him, reading in a soft voice. The moment he sees me, his little face lights up, even through the discomfort. “Mommy,” he croaks, reaching for me. I cross the room in three strides and pull him into my arms, holding him tight against my chest, his small body warm, too warm. The guilt hits me like a physical blow. I've been aw
Valerio's Secretary Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Shield.
Zara’s POVThe next morning arrives too quickly, bringing with it quiet dread that settles deep in my bones.I have spent half the night tossing and turning, thinking about Tokyo. Three days. Just Valerio and me in a foreign city, far from the familiar constraints of the office. The no-office-roman
Valerio's Secretary Chapter Twenty-six: The Tokyo Trip
Zara’s POVI arrive at my desk earlier than usual, hoping the quiet office will give me time to steady myself before Valerio appears. My mind is beginning to act like a mess anytime he’s around me, and I have to do better. I have reasons for being here, and it feels like I’m forgetting that, and I
Valerio's Secretary Chapter 25: The Morning After
Zara’s POVThe morning after the gala feels like waking up from a fever dream.My body still remembers every moment, Valerio’s hand firm on my lower back as we danced, the way his breath brushed my ear when he whispered about the old photo, the heat in his eyes every time they found me across the c
Valerio's Secretary Chapter Twenty-four: The Dance
Valerio’s POVThe gala is supposed to be just another night of calculated smiles and strategic conversations. Instead, it feels like the ground is shifting beneath my feet.I’m standing near the grand staircase, champagne glass in hand, nodding at something one of the European investors is saying,
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