It's him.

As I looked him in the eyes, I could see he was desperate for time, but I did not want to give him any of it, he's probably already contacted his boss already.

"That's not on the menu Xavier." I snarl and snap my notepad shut. Starting to walk away but he grabs my wrist, standing from the booth and stopping me.

"Please Valentina-"

"Valery." I say stopping him "My name is Valery." He nods slowly and sits back down, guilt filled in his eyes.

"Please Val, I just want five minutes. That's nothing compared to what has happened in two years." he begs, and I could see in the corner of my eyes people starting to look over to us.

"Fine. Clock's ticking." I say and sit opposite him to which he smiles to, but I scowl at him, my hands already gripping the table harshly, turning my knuckles white.

"Fra-" he starts off by saying his name to which I twitch glare at, and he stops himself.

"He doesn't know you're here, so you don't need to worry." Xavier says and I could feel my shoulders slump. "I was the car that followed you... sorry."

"Then why are you here?" I ask and he smile genuinely.

"Because I missed you, so does Quinn- and everyone else!" he explains and I could feel some of my defence chip away, but I force myself to stay quiet.

"Also, I wanted to update you what happened while you were gone." he says and I nod carefully.

"For one, my nose was broken by someone who hit me in the face with a gun." He laughs lightly when I groan under my breath at the memory- now fiddling with my fingers- but his smile drops quickly

"After you left him.. he went through many emotions of grief, thinking you would come back. Sadness, he wouldn't come out of his office for days. Anger, he would punch or torture anyone in sight that mentioned anything about you, even said your name. And it resulted in a war with the second gang."

I stiffened at the information. He had really made a war out of his anger?

"We won and gained more land and workers. But he was never satisfied- not without you." he said, and I instantly froze in my spot.

"Did- Did you just come here to guilt-trip me?" I ask through gritted teeth and he looks at me with pained eyes.

"Please come back Valentina. Quinn misses you; Tara misses you; I miss you. Francis made a mistake, but it wasn't his fault!" at that point I snapped.

"Don't say that name!" I yell, catching everyone's attention. Including Ollie's.

"We're done here." I say and Ollie comes up to us looking nervous as his gaze switches from me to Xavier.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave, sir."

My tone was strict, and I felt as if my wings would burst out from any moment in anger.

Xavier stares at me then Ollie before getting out and walking out of the store, without saying another word.

I huff and stomp to the back room, my friend following closely behind me.

"Val, who was that?" he asks quietly, and I had to control the urge not to lose it there.

"An old friend... we ended on bad terms" I utter and plop down on a chair on a table and he sits next to me

"How bad?" he asks with curiosity. It wouldn't hurt to tell a little bit of the truth.

"I hit him in the face with a gun." I say with a sarcastic voice and Ollie immediately stifled out a laugh.

"I thought you got hurt or something." he chuckles quietly, and I even sadly smile to myself.

I wish I didn't get hurt.

But I'm never going to open my heart up to anyone like him again. He broke my heart and broke me.

If he wanted to see me sooner, then why is Xavier here instead of him?

A heartless criminal like him, could never truly fall for anyone, especially me.

My shift was over soon, and Ollie was working overtime, so I was by myself once again.

"Bye Ollie!" I said as I walked into the back carpark and he waved back to me from the window. "Make sure to report what happened this morning!" he reminded me, and I nodded my head stiffly.

As I walked to the staff car park, I could already see that there was the same black car from this morning parked next to my motorcycle.

I scoffed as I saw him waiting for me and I tried to avoid him, but he started talking before I could leave.

"Look Val, I'm sorry I said his name, but you have to understand what happened wasn't his fault-" Xavier was trying to defend what he did now?

"Don't you dare try to defend what he did!" I shouted, the blood rushing through my veins and he instantly went quiet, seeing my rage but when I moved back, I could feel that my wings were now revealed.

Quickly looking around, I breathed out seeing that nobody was even near here, no cameras either.

"I was trapped there because of him. I was cursed with these stupid wings because of him. I fell in love because of him and then he had the nerve to go sleep with Sienna!" I yell and feel the tears streaming down my face.

"I will never forgive him."

Xavier looked at me with so much pain, as if he couldn't say something else but I couldn't bare talking to him anymore so before either of us speak once more, I put my helmet on and sped off. But not before hearing something that made my world shift.

"Sienna is dead! "

She's dead? Why would Sienna be dead?

I thought about it over and over, reimagining any possible scenario. Did Francis, do it? Or maybe someone else did?

Laying back on my bed and running my hands through my hair, I groan at the overwhelming feeling that all the wasn't his fault

No.

No, no, no! it was wrong of him for even taking me in the first place and forcing me to stay. He ruined my life!

I watch as Valentina goes blazing off from the car park, I wasn't even sure if she heard what I said.

Desperately, I wanted to explain to her what happened, but she never gave me the proper chance to. But I knew she wouldn't be moving now.

I could see the life that she had made here in LA and if she left just to get away from me, all of that would go to waste.

But one thing for sure is that I wouldn't tell Francis. He would kill me if he found that I had seen her without him knowing, without him even being there and for all I know he would know because I had been ignoring his calls for the past week.

I may respect Francis, but I respect Valentina more than I ever have for him. She had to go through so much shit from him, but still managed to make him a better person, now that was all lost.

I got into my SUV and started to drive back to the main mansion where Francis is.

I need to think of a good excuse before he tortures me to tell the truth.

I arrived and I'm greeted with nods from the guards at the doors and I go to Francis's office immediately.

"Look boss-" I try to say when I burst through the door, but he puts up his hand for me to stop.

I do so and he takes a deep breath in and out then everything stays still for one minute.

Only a clock to be heard

As I'm about to ask what was going on, his wing rise suddenly and within seconds he has me pinned against the wall, holding me by the collar, his knuckle pressed against my throat.

"You better have a good fucking reason as to why you smell like her."