Ashes of the Past

The next day, Vionessa called for all the workers to gather in the living room. Before getting there, Valeria knew what was going on. She walked to the living room and saw two familiar faces.

They were two men. The both of them had similar facial features, the same blonde hair, the same brown eyes, and almost the same height. It was obvious that they were twins.

"The men before are the Draven brothers, and they are going to handle security matters in the mansion." Vionessa says to the staff. They nodded, and she left. The Draven brothers gave Valeria a knowing look, and they left.

Later that day, Valeria was cooking in the kitchen when Selena walked in. She smiled, and Valeria smiled back.

"What are you making?" Selena asked. "I'm making rice, Ma." Valeria replied. Selena waved her hand.

"Oh, please spare me the formalities; you can call me Selena." She said and sat on the kitchen counter. Valeria nodded and smiled. Dorian stepped in; he gave Valeria a little nod and went to talk to his sister.

They were talking about something, and they both laughed out loud. Valeria smiled as she watched them.

So far she could see the difference between them and Xavier. Unlike Xavier, they are easygoing and not proud. Xavier, on the other hand, was like his rude mother.

Their laughter echoed in the kitchen, and Valeria chuckled.

Outside the kitchen, Xavier watched with his hands in his pockets He couldn't understand why Dorian and Selena were fond of the maid.

Later that day after lunch, Valeria entered her room and saw two familiar faces. Arthur sighed softly and hugged her. She pulled out and hugged Luciano afterward. He smiled and kissed her hair.

"How have you been, kid?" he asked. Valeria pulled out from the hug and smiled. She has missed them.

Arthur Draven and Luciano Draven were her childhood friends, and they had a secret grudge against the Ravenmoors too. They came here to help her with her plans.

***

Flashback.

In a small apartment moscio , a girl stood in front of a birthday cake. She looked beautiful in a pink floral dress that made her brown hair shine in the dimly lit room.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she heard a voice from behind her.

"Blow out the candles, dear." The woman said. The little girl smiled, and she blew out the candles.

"What did you wish for?" the woman asked. The little girl's eyes twinkled with excitement, and she whispered.

"I wished for us to always be happy!" The older woman smiled and hugged the little girl.

"I love you so much, Elena." The girl whispered.

"I love you too, baby." She replied. Their moment was interrupted when two identical young boys barged into the room.

They each had a wrapped present in their hands.

"This is for you, Rynna " The the first boy said and gave her the gift. "Thank you, Luciano!"

The little girl said and hugged him tightly.

The next day, the three children were playing in the living room.

"You know Uncle Will is coming to visit soon; I can't wait to see him." Luciano said to his brother.

"It's so sad that I don't have a brother " The little girl said with a pout.

"You have a brother; in fact, you have two".

"We are your brothers!" The twins chorused and pulled her into a tight hug. She chuckled, her brown eyes filled with joy.

The same joy was mirrored in Valeria's eyes as she looked at the men before her.

"Our plans are already in motion, guys."

Valeria said with a proud smile. Luciano nodded. Arthur sat on her bed.

"I think we need to do some digging." "Have you been able to find anything, Val?" he asked Valeria. She nodded.

"I'm not sure about it, but I think Vionessa is seeing someone." She said firmly.

"And what makes you say that?" Luciano asked. "I heard her talking on the phone, and her body language showed that she was talking to someone she loves " Arthur smirked.

"The old hag with a love life-that sounds about right".

He turned to Valeria and held her shoulder.

"For now, you have to be careful; you can't risk getting caught. The Ravenmoors are vicious; you of all people know that " Valeria nodded.

"I'm doing this for her, so I know I won't mess it up." She stated with determination flashing in her eyes.

Meanwhile, in a study upstairs. Vionessa replayed the footage from the night of the annual ball.

She felt like something important would be hidden in the shadows. Vionessa was getting frustrated; she couldn't find anything.

She slammed her fist on the table and growled. She came across something, and her eyes darkened.

Valeria walked into the study, with her hands gripping the sides of her dress.

Vionessa had ordered for her to come, and she didn't know why.

"Good day, ma'am." Valeria greeted and bowed slightly. Vionessa gave her a look that made her uneasy.

"Do you have any hidden grudges against my family, young lady?" Vionessa asked. Valeria felt her heart skip a beat. It slammed harshly against her ribs, and her body shook slightly.

"No ma". She managed to say.

"Really?"

"Then what is the meaning of this?" Vionessa asked, pointing at the screen of the computer. It was CCTV footage from the annual gala.

In the video, Vionessa was screaming while Valeria stood at a corner with satisfaction written all over her face. She wasn't smiling, but her face showed that she was enjoying the show.

"Why were you so happy to see my family in pain?" Vionessa asked.

"No, ma, I don't have a grudge against your family. I don't." Valeria denied it

"Oh really, so you just..." Vionessa's phone buzzed, and she answered

"Come pick me up; I'm at the airport." The person on the other end said. Vionessa nodded and smiled. She turned to Valeria, and her smile turned into a grin.

"Listen to me, young woman, if I find out that you lied to me today and you have something against my family..."

She picked a paper from the table and squeezed it while maintaining eye contact with Valeria.

"I will crush you with my hands." She completed it and left.

Valeria released the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"You old b*tch!" She cursed and clenched her fists.