At that moment Valentina's glowing blue eyes locked onto Chloe, her voice calm yet firm as she spoke. "All you've talked about is money, Chloe. But what's happening to me isn't about money—it's about love. It doesn't matter where my husband sleeps, whether it's under a bridge or in a palace, as long as he loves me. And you know what? He's proven it. He wouldn't even take another man's money to care for me."
Her gaze sharpened, piercing through Chloe's smug demeanor. "But here you are, going on about net worths and wealth, indirectly saying you're marrying Liam Zachary's money—not Liam Zachary himself."
Hearing Valentina words.
Liam's face reddened, the tension in his jaw visible as he shifted uncomfortably. Chloe, too, faltered, her earlier confidence cracking under Valentina's pointed words.
Chloe quickly recovered, though her tone now carried a sharp edge of defensiveness.
"It's good to have a responsible husband, Valentina," she snapped. "Not a pretender. Someone who can't afford a loaf of bread is claiming he can buy a whole bakery. At least Liam is competent—not a fraud like your so-called husband."
Immediately Liam straightened, his expression stiff as he glanced at Chloe.
"That's enough," he said firmly, his voice low but commanding.
"Stop attacking your sister."
Chloe's mouth opened as if to argue, but Liam didn't wait for her response. Instead, he turned to Valentina, his tone softening.
"I wish you a happy married life, Valentina."
He turned to leave, tugging Chloe lightly by the arm, but Valentina's voice cut through the air, halting them both.
"Liam might have the money," she said, her tone steady, "and he might be competent. But tell me, Chloe—what do you bring to the table?"
Immediately Chloe whirled around, her face flushed with anger.
"What do I bring to the table?" she repeated, her voice rising.
"I'll tell you. I'm going to add even more wealth to Liam Zachary's empire. ZRK is launching a massive project, and thanks to the family relationship with ZRK, I've secured a good portion of that deal for him. Not just the contracts and money—I bring value, Valentina."
Then She stepped closer, her expression venomous.
"And more than that, look at me. My body is flawless, a diamond that any man would die for. Unlike you, Valentina, who will only bring misery to your husband's life. Look at yourself—you're pathetic. You smell, for God's sake!"
Chloe's voice trembled with fury, her words cutting like a knife. But Valentina didn't flinch. Instead, she smiled, the kind of smile that spoke of quiet triumph.
"And yet," Valentina said softly, her voice like a steady current beneath the storm of Chloe's anger, "despite all of that, I'm the one who's married."
Hearing what Valentina just said.
Chloe's mouth hung open, her shock mirrored in Liam's wide eyes. He had thought Chloe's sharp words would leave Valentina speechless, but he was wrong. Valentina stood firm, her calm demeanor cutting through the tension like a blade.
"You say I'm not adding anything but misery," Valentina continued, her voice steady and measured. "Yet, my husband still married me. That is unconditional love. Unlike you, Chloe—you need to look good, you need to add more money to your husband's life to feel secure in your marriage. But what happens if you can't keep those things you're adding? What if you can't secure more deals for Liam? What if you lose your diamond skin? And what if Liam loses his net worth?"
Her glowing blue eyes bore into Chloe, unflinching.
"What happens then? Will your marriage fall apart? Because based on everything you've said, it sounds like there's nothing else holding it together."
At that moment Chloe's face flushed with anger, her composure crumbling under the weight of Valentina's words. Her fists clenched tightly at her sides, trembling with fury.
"You little witch!" she spat, stepping forward, her hand raised to slap Valentina.
But Before her hand could make contact, Raymond's grip caught her wrist mid-air. His movement was swift, his red-rimmed eyes cold as they fixed on Chloe.
However he said nothing, but his presence alone was enough to freeze her in place.
Immediately Liam took a step forward, his face clouded with uncertainty, but before he could act, Raymond's father placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
The older man's grip was deceptively light, but the look in his eyes made Liam's blood run cold. There was no mistaking the warning there.
"Don't think about it," Raymond's father said quietly, his voice calm but carrying an edge that sent a shiver down Liam's spine.
However Liam hesitated, his confidence shaken.
He stepped back instinctively, his hands lifting slightly in a gesture of surrender.
Realizing Liam wouldn't come to her rescue, Chloe yanked her wrist free from Raymond's grip and stumbled backward, glaring at Valentina with venom in her eyes. Her voice was sharp, but her words faltered.
"We'll see who ends up begging like a dog."
As the tension lingered in the air, a taxi pulled up to the Callum estate. Without a word, Raymond gently took Valentina's gloved hand, his touch firm yet considerate, and guided her toward the vehicle. His movements were deliberate, as if shielding her from the weight of the stares and whispers around them.
Before stepping into the taxi, Raymond's mother turned back to Chloe, her expression calm but her words cutting. "You'll be the one coming to beg like a dog soon," she said, her voice steady and unwavering.
Chloe's face twisted with fury, and she lunged forward, ready to retaliate. But Liam grabbed her arm, leaning close to whisper, "Don't. There's something strange about him and his family. They're not normal—they're crazy people, and I wouldn't be Surprised if they are planning to destroy your face, remember our weeding is coming up soon."
Hearing Liam Chloe froze, her anger momentarily replaced by unease. Her lips parted as if to argue, but she caught the look in Liam's eyes and understand his words. Reluctantly, she stepped back, her fists clenched tightly at her sides as she watched Raymond's family climb into the taxi.
The engine roared to life, and the taxi began to pull away.
Inside, the silence was heavy, broken only by the hum of the car. Valentina shifted slightly, her glowing blue eyes flicking toward Raymond.
"You should've taken the money," she said suddenly, her tone soft but firm.
"That money practically belongs to me. And honestly, I deserved more than that for everything I've been through just to get married."
Raymond glanced at her, his expression calm.
"Did you really want me to carry that money?"
Valentina hesitated, the weight of his question settling over her. Finally, she shook her head. "No," she murmured, her voice quieter this time.
"Then that's why I didn't," Raymond said simply, his tone devoid of arrogance, just plain honesty. "I don't need their money either."
For a moment, silence reclaimed the space, broken only by the rhythmic sound of the tires on the road.
Then Valentina spoke again, her voice softer now, almost hesitant. "Thank you," she said, her words directed at Raymond and his family. "For everything."
Raymond's mother turned slightly in her seat, giving Valentina a small smile, but said nothing.
As the taxi approached a junction, Valentina straightened, her glowing blue eyes fixed on the road ahead. "You can drop me off at the next junction," she said.
The request surprised everyone, but Valentina's tone left no room for debate.
She had thought this through. Back when she was still living under her family's roof, she had managed to squirrel away a small amount of money in a secret account—money her family didn't know about.
She had promised herself she would give it to the man who came to marry her, but only if he and his family proved themselves worthy.
Raymond and his family had not only proven themselves—they had exceeded her expectations. And now, she was ready to keep her promise.
At that moment Valentina's gloved hand trembled as she pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket.
Her movements were slow, deliberate, as if the weight of the decision clung to her fingertips. Unfolding it carefully, she revealed a check, its numbers glaring back at her like a silent reminder of her desperation.
"It's two hundred fifty thousand dollars," she said, her voice steady but hollow. She extended it toward Raymond. "Take it. Drop me off at the next stop."
Raymond didn't even glance at the check. Instead, he turned his head slightly, his red-rimmed eyes narrowing as he studied her. "So you can commit suicide?" he asked, his voice calm yet cutting.
Immediately Valentina froze, her breath catching in her throat. For a moment, she couldn't respond, couldn't move, as though his words had reached into the depths of her soul and dragged her darkest thoughts into the light.
"How would you have the last laugh if you go through with it now?" Raymond continued, his tone unflinching.
"Don't you want to see your sister come crawling back to you, begging for forgiveness?"
His words were sharp, deliberate, and they struck Valentina like a jolt.
"Don't you want to be the key to the Callum family fortune?" Raymond pressed on.
"To take control of everything they thought you'd never have? To watch them all kneel before you, pleading for you to save them when their world starts to crumble?"
At that moment Her eyes widened, tears brimming as she clutched the check tighter in her hand.
He wasn't just speaking. It was as though he saw right through her, as though he knew the war raging within her—the despair, the anger, and the flickering hope she had tried to extinguish.
"Don't you want to rule the world again?" Raymond asked, his voice softening but still firm.
"To become the woman everyone talked about ten years ago? The one who commanded admiration, not pity?"
Immediately Valentina's lips parted, but the words caught in her throat.
She didn't know how to answer him. How did he know? How could he possibly know?
Raymond's gaze didn't waver.
"This time," he said, his voice quieter, "it would be different. This time, you would do it on your terms. Don't you want to be the woman they talk about again—the one who writes her own story?"
At that moment the tears spilled over now, streaking her glowing blue eyes as she let out a broken laugh. It was soft, bitter, and shaky, as though the weight of everything she had buried inside her was cracking through the surface.
"That can never happen again," she whispered, her voice trembling as she shook her head, clutching the check tightly against her chest.
Then Raymond turned back toward the road, his voice casual but firm as he spoke. "Don't ever sell yourself short by yourself," he said. "All of it will happen—provided you stay alive."