After leaving the mansion, I drove to my company. I owned a fashion company which I named Val Corps. I started it 5 years ago, and today it is one of the best fashion companies in the world.

Upon arriving, I parked my car in the underground parking that was specifically reserved for me and my friends, and entered the building. The lobby was bustling with activity as employees and visitors moved about. As soon as I entered, the chatter died down as everyone stood up and greeted me. I nodded my head in acknowledgement and headed straight to the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor where my office was located.

As the doors opened, I was greeted by my assistant, Laura, who handed me a stack of documents that needed my immediate attention. She informed me of the day's meetings and urgent matters that require my approval.

I made my way to my office, a spacious room with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a breathtaking view of the city. Sitting at my desk, I began to examine the paperwork, my mind focused on the tasks at hand, but also drifting back to the events at the mansion and what they might mean for the future.

**********

Around lunchtime, a knock on my door broke my focus. I allowed the person to enter and returned my attention to the documents I was reviewing. Once I finished signing the papers and set them aside, I looked up to see who had come in. To my surprise, it was Grayson.

"Grayson, what a surprise to see you. Have a seat. What brings you here today?"

It was true—I was genuinely surprised to see Grayson, as he rarely visited me. While others would occasionally drop by my office or apartment, Grayson only came if it was for work or mission-related matters. So, his presence was unexpected. "Thanks, Val. I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said, glancing at the documents on my desk.

Understanding his meaning, I quickly waved it off. "Of course not, I was almost done with it anyway. What is it, Gray? I know you're not here just to chat," I said, getting straight to business.

He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before sighing and finally speaking. "You have a mission tonight, Val. You need to go to a club, gather some information on a local gang member, and then eliminate him. He's also a rapist and a human trafficker. I'll send you the details in a couple of hours.”

"Alright, I'll wait for your update. I won't be able to come to the warehouse tonight because I'm staying at my family's mansion. I trust you all to come up with a plan and explain it to me later. Also, I need everyone to be extra cautious and lay low for the next few days to avoid any confrontations with my family, especially Natalie, who is already involved in my family's mafia. I don't want any of you to get into trouble because of me.”

He nodded his head in understanding and after a few minutes of catching up and discussing some matters, Gray excused himself and left. After his departure I focussed back on my work.

**********

I just arrived at the mansion a few minutes ago and I'm currently in my room, reviewing the information Gray sent me about my target tonight. After finding the weaknesses and preferences of my victim tonight, I decided to put together an outfit for my adventure. Honestly it's been so long since I went on a mission. Lately, I had just been taking up fights and not doing missions as I was busy planning my return.

Just as I finished setting everything up, there was a knock at my door. I glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly dinner time. When I opened the door, I was shocked to find Alexa standing there awkwardly. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, her wide and frantic eyes darting around to avoid my gaze. I cleared my throat to get her attention, and it worked.

She looked at me for a couple of seconds before averting her gaze to the floor, as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. After a few moments, she spoke in a low voice, her words barely audible.

"Hi, I, uh, came to, um, ask if you might like to have dinner with me. It's almost time, and everyone around here has their own things to do. I noticed you just arrived a few minutes ago, so I thought maybe you'd like to join me for dinner. But, I think that's not a good idea. Forget it, you probably hate us. Why would you have dinner with me? It was a bad idea. I'll leave you to do your own thing. Bye."

With that, she quickly turned to leave, but I stopped her.

"Alexa, wait. Take a breath and come inside," I said, inviting her in and guiding her to the bed. "Why do you think I hate you?" I asked.

"You don't?" she asked, looking into my eyes. For a moment, I was speechless. I do hate my family for what they did, but Alexa had no part in it and was so young at the time.

"No, Alexa, I don't hate you. However, I can't say the same for everyone else," I told her honestly. "And about dinner, of course I'd love to have dinner with you. Shall we go?”

I changed the topic, not wanting her to dwell on it. She was just a teenager, and I didn't want her caught up in our family issues. Although I knew it was inevitable, I would do everything I could to reduce the damage. After she nodded in agreement, we made our way downstairs to the dining room. I noticed how quiet the house was and wanted to ask Alexa about it but decided against it.

We soon reached the dining room, where dinner was already served. We made ourselves comfortable and began eating, engaging in small talk. It felt good to converse with someone other than my friends. After a while, we finished dinner, and Alexa excused herself, mentioning she had school the next day and needed to sleep. Once she went to her room, I headed to mine to get dressed for my mission.

**********

An hour later, I was dressed in a red spaghetti strap mini bodycon dress, complemented by gold jewelry and red stilettos. I opted for a natural look with a bold lip and left my hair down in waves.



After spritzing on some perfume and grabbing my purse, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror to ensure nothing was missing. Satisfied with my appearance, I double-checked my purse for the essentials. Once I was sure I had everything, I headed out of my room.

As I made my way to the garage, I noticed the eerie silence in the mansion but decided to address it later. I headed to my only car here, a Lamborghini Aventador, since my other cars were still at my old home. Slipping into the driver's seat, I started the engine. Soon, I was skillfully navigating out of the mansion gates and onto the roads of Venice.

**********

Seventh chapter done!!!!

What do you think about this? Share your thoughts in the comments and let me know how'd you find this?

With love, Abeer