One Night in Valeria - Chapter 43: Chapter 43
You are reading One Night in Valeria, Chapter 43: Chapter 43. Read more chapters of One Night in Valeria.
Jessica sat alone in the freight lift corridor, the letter trembling in her hands.
The wax seal cracked with a soft snap. Inside: a single sheet, handwritten. The ink faded slightly, the strokes elegant… familiar.
Her mother’s voice bled off the page.
> My dearest Jessica,
If you are reading this, then the world has heard your voice. You are louder than I ever dared to be, and for that, I am proud beyond words.
But there are truths I never told you. I thought I was protecting you from them. Maybe I was only protecting myself.
You’ve heard versions of my disappearance. None of them are complete.
The man you know as your father—August—is not your biological father.
You were born from something rare and terrifying: real love. And that love was a threat to everything the Hale family stood for.
His name is Dorian Velar.
Jessica’s heart stopped.
No.
It couldn’t be.
> He was my muse. My rival. The only man who saw me, not just the brand. But when I refused to surrender my work to the Conservatory, when I wanted out, he panicked. Tried to protect me by hiding the truth, by making deals I never asked for.
When I found out, I ran. Not from fear. From betrayal.
Tatienne helped me disappear. But it wasn’t enough.
They erased me anyway.
Dorian swore he’d protect you from afar. I believe he tried. Maybe he still is. But love twisted by fear can become a weapon.
You are my voice now, Jessica. But you are also your own.
Trust only those who stand beside you when you have nothing left to give.
And if you ever meet Dorian again look into his eyes.
If he flinches when you speak your truth, then he never deserved you at all.
I loved you every second, even in silence.
— Mama
Jessica folded the letter slowly, hands shaking, throat tight.
Dorian.
Not just a mysterious ally.
Not just a ghost from Klara’s past.
Her father.
And if he had been protecting her all this time…
Why hadn’t he come forward?
Why now?
Back in the gallery, Liam finally spotted her slipping through the back entrance. Her expression unreadable.
“Where were you?” he asked gently.
Jessica tucked the letter inside her coat.
“Meeting my history,” she said softly. “And maybe my future.”
He frowned. “What happened?”
She looked up at him, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Liam… I’m not who I thought I was.”
The wax seal cracked with a soft snap. Inside: a single sheet, handwritten. The ink faded slightly, the strokes elegant… familiar.
Her mother’s voice bled off the page.
> My dearest Jessica,
If you are reading this, then the world has heard your voice. You are louder than I ever dared to be, and for that, I am proud beyond words.
But there are truths I never told you. I thought I was protecting you from them. Maybe I was only protecting myself.
You’ve heard versions of my disappearance. None of them are complete.
The man you know as your father—August—is not your biological father.
You were born from something rare and terrifying: real love. And that love was a threat to everything the Hale family stood for.
His name is Dorian Velar.
Jessica’s heart stopped.
No.
It couldn’t be.
> He was my muse. My rival. The only man who saw me, not just the brand. But when I refused to surrender my work to the Conservatory, when I wanted out, he panicked. Tried to protect me by hiding the truth, by making deals I never asked for.
When I found out, I ran. Not from fear. From betrayal.
Tatienne helped me disappear. But it wasn’t enough.
They erased me anyway.
Dorian swore he’d protect you from afar. I believe he tried. Maybe he still is. But love twisted by fear can become a weapon.
You are my voice now, Jessica. But you are also your own.
Trust only those who stand beside you when you have nothing left to give.
And if you ever meet Dorian again look into his eyes.
If he flinches when you speak your truth, then he never deserved you at all.
I loved you every second, even in silence.
— Mama
Jessica folded the letter slowly, hands shaking, throat tight.
Dorian.
Not just a mysterious ally.
Not just a ghost from Klara’s past.
Her father.
And if he had been protecting her all this time…
Why hadn’t he come forward?
Why now?
Back in the gallery, Liam finally spotted her slipping through the back entrance. Her expression unreadable.
“Where were you?” he asked gently.
Jessica tucked the letter inside her coat.
“Meeting my history,” she said softly. “And maybe my future.”
He frowned. “What happened?”
She looked up at him, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Liam… I’m not who I thought I was.”
End of One Night in Valeria Chapter 43. Continue reading Chapter 44 or return to One Night in Valeria book page.