"Of course, we'll do that," Raymond's father said with a firm nod, his tone resolute.
At that moment Maria Callum's smile widened, though it lacked warmth. "Whenever you're ready, just let us know," she replied, waving her hand dismissively as if it were a matter of little consequence.
Mr. Callum, silent and detached, turned and walked away without a word, his heavy steps echoing through the room.
His indifference didn't surprise Valentina. If anything, it reinforced the truth she had come to accept—she was nothing more than a transaction to them now.
As the room settled into an uncomfortable stillness, a commotion erupted near the staircase.
Valentina turned just in time to see the maids descending with her belongings in tow.
The sight sent a pang through her chest, even though she had expected this moment.
"Val!" Luca's voice broke through the tension, his small frame barreling toward her like a whirlwind of emotion.
His wide, tear-filled eyes looked up at her, his hands clutching at her gown.
"You said you'd leave tomorrow! Why are you going so soon?"
Valentina knelt to meet his gaze, her gloved hands gently brushing his hair.
She had thought she would leave tomorrow too, but Maria had clearly made other plans. The sooner she was out of the house, the better for everyone.
"I'm sorry, Luca," she said softly, her voice heavy with guilt. She glanced up briefly, catching Maria's sharp, watchful gaze. 'She wants me gone today,' Valentina thought. 'And I want to leave too. This isn't home anymore.'
Maria stepped forward, her hand resting firmly on Luca's shoulder. "She's not leaving forever," Maria said, her tone soothing yet commanding.
"Valentina is just going with her husband today. She's officially married now. She can visit whenever she wants."
But the words did little to calm Luca. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he clung to Valentina, his small hands gripping her tightly. "Promise me you'll come tomorrow! Please, Val!"
Valentina's throat tightened as she forced herself to smile.
"If I have the chance, I'll come," she said, her voice steady despite the ache in her chest.
At that moment Luca sniffled, his grip loosening as the maids approached.
"You promise?"
"I promise," she said softly, even though she wasn't sure she could keep it.
At Maria's signal, the maids gently pried Luca away.
Immediately the other maids worked quickly, carrying Valentina's belongings out to where Raymond and his family were waiting.
Each item placed by the car felt like another piece of her life being stripped away, but Valentina remained silent, her gloved hands resting lightly in front of her as she stood by the door.
Maria Callum walked out after them, her practiced smile in place. "Valentina," she said, her tone smooth, almost rehearsed. "Have a beautiful life."
Valentina nodded but didn't respond. There was nothing more to say. As she turned to follow Raymond and his family, the sound of a car engine broke the tense stillness.
At that moment an expensive Mercedes pulled into the driveway, its polished exterior gleaming under the sunlight.
The Callum family crest etched on the side only added to its air of importance.
The door opened, and Chloe Callum stepped out, her designer heels clicking against the pavement as her husband, Liam Zachary, followed closely behind.
Chloe's expression was a mix of apology and forced cheerfulness, her gaze flitting briefly to Valentina before she turned her attention to Maria.
"Sorry we're late," Chloe said, her voice light and breezy as though she were arriving at a social gathering instead of her stepsister's send-off.
Immediately Liam stepped forward, pulling a brown envelope from his jacket pocket.
He approached Raymond directly, extending the envelope with a confident smile.
"This is the hundred-thousand-dollar bill, as promised."
Valentina stiffened. Beneath the layers of scarves that covered her face, her expression darkened, shame flooding her like a wave. The humiliation clawed at her, but her face remained unreadable, hidden from view.
At that moment Raymond's gaze moved from the envelope to Liam, his red-rimmed eyes narrowing slightly.
The tension between them was palpable, the air thick with unspoken words.
Finally, Raymond spoke, his voice low but firm.
"We don't need the money," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"I don't need another man's money to take care of my wife."
He didn't reach for the envelope, his hands remaining at his sides.
Raymond's words hung in the air, the quiet confidence in his tone doing little to mask the tension building between him and the Callums.
Immediately Chloe and Liam exchanged quick glances, their lips twitching with barely concealed amusement. But beneath their forced smirks, their expressions darkened, shadows of irritation creeping in.
Chloe stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement. Her voice was smooth, but there was a sharp edge to her words.
"Did you even read the contract, Raymond?"
Raymond didn't respond immediately, his red-rimmed eyes steady as they met Chloe's.
She crossed her arms, exhaling dramatically as if explaining something obvious to a child.
"The contract makes it very clear. The Callum family isn't responsible for Valentina anymore. Her Medical treatments, her well-being—it's all on you now. As far as this family is concerned, she's not a Callum anymore."
Her words felt like daggers, but Valentina remained silent, her face hidden beneath her scarf. Only her glowing blue eyes betrayed the flicker of pain she felt.
Again Liam nudged Chloe, handing her the brown envelope, and she turned back to Raymond, her voice colder now.
"This is the only money you'll ever get from the Callums. Don't think for a second we're trying to test you or whatever nonsense you've convinced yourself of. Valentina has been practically useless to this family for over a decade."
At that moment She extended the envelope toward him, her smile sharp and hollow.
"We're just letting her go in an honorable way."
However Raymond's eyes flicked to the envelope but didn't move to take it. Instead, his voice came low and steady, cutting through the tension like a blade.
"I don't need another person's money to take care of my wife," again he said firmly. Then, with a hint of derision, he added, "And besides, a hundred thousand dollars is nothing. I can't accept such a small amount."
Hearing Raymond words Chloe froze, her hand still holding out the envelope. For a moment, she couldn't speak, her mind racing to process what she had just heard. Her shock quickly turned to disbelief, her lips parting as if to say something, but no words came.
She had personally selected Raymond for this.
His profile showed a man who lived under a bridge, struggling to survive with his family.
He was supposed to be desperate, grateful for anything—even for the chance to marry Valentina and claim the money.
Yet here he was, rejecting a hundred thousand dollars without hesitation, as if it were pocket change like he claim.
How the hell would somebody like that be able to reject a hundred thousand dollars? She expected Raymond to bow in front of her and even kiss her feet for giving him the chance to claim the money. She couldn't understand why a homeless man sounding so gibberish?
Chloe's perfectly manicured fingers twitched, her initial urge to laugh at Valentina dissolving under the weight of Raymond's unexpected defiance.
His calm confidence had thrown her off balance, and for the first time in years, she found herself grasping for control in a conversation.
With a forced smile, she cleared her throat, stepping back and slipping the brown envelope into her mini designer bag.
"Fine," she said coolly, her tone deliberately indifferent. "If that's how you feel."
Then she shifted her attention to Valentina, her heels clicking purposefully as she closed the distance between them. Her face softened into a mock expression of concern, though her eyes gleamed with a sharp, biting cruelty.
"Well, Valentina," she began, her voice dripping with feigned sweetness, "I suppose this is goodbye." She paused, her lips curving into a smug smile. "I want to thank you, though. For clearing the way for me. You've done me such a favor, you know. Now I can finally marry Liam Zachary, the young master of the Zachary family."
She then turned slightly, glancing at Liam, who stood a few feet away, his hands casually tucked into his pockets.
"Did you know, Valentina," Chloe continued, her tone gaining an edge, "the Zachary family is worth over five billion dollars now? A decade ago, they were only worth a few million. Funny how things change, isn't it?"
However Valentina didn't move, her glowing blue eyes fixed on Chloe, unblinking.
Her face, hidden behind the layers of her scarf, betrayed nothing, but the tension in her shoulders spoke volumes.
"And to think," Chloe said with a laugh, her voice growing louder as she leaned in closer, "you rejected Liam Zachary ten years ago. You could have had all of this—money, power, luxury." She gestured grandly with her hands before letting them fall to her sides.
At that moment her smile widened, her next words cutting like a knife. "And now, look where you are. Marrying a homeless man who lives under that old oak tree bridge. What a life you've created for yourself, Valentina. Truly… inspiring."