One Night in Valeria - Chapter 53: Chapter 53
You are reading One Night in Valeria, Chapter 53: Chapter 53. Read more chapters of One Night in Valeria.
The café sat at the edge of Old Velaria, where cracked cobblestones met ivy-covered galleries. Jessica arrived first hood drawn low, sunglasses hiding the tension in her eyes.
At 11:04 a.m., Thorne Velar walked in.
Tall. Regal. Wrinkles barely softened by age. He wore grief like a perfectly tailored coat.
He sat without greeting her.
“You’ve grown into Klara’s defiance,” he said. “But you have your father’s silence. That’s more dangerous.”
“I didn’t come for poetry,” Jessica replied coolly.
He slid a thin envelope across the table.
She didn’t touch it.
“You’re making the dress,” he said. “Good. She wanted it seen. But what she never told you is that it wasn’t hers.”
Jessica stiffened. “What do you mean?”
Thorne leaned back, eyes sharper than glass.
“*‘Daughter’ was the name. But it was Dorian’s vision. Not Klara’s. She never finished it because she didn’t agree with it.”
“That’s a lie,” she snapped.
“Is it?” His voice was calm. “Look inside the envelope.”
With trembling fingers, she opened it.
Inside: a faded letter.
Not Klara’s.
Dorian’s.
> Klara,
You said truth is the loudest color. I say it’s the ugliest. This design will free her but it will also expose us.
Our legacy was built on silence. On lies we told ourselves to survive.
Let her wear it, if you’re brave enough to let go.
But if you keep hiding, this sketch becomes her burden not her crown.
— Dorian
Jessica read it twice.
Then again.
And her heart didn’t break.
It twisted.
Klara hadn’t just hidden the dress.
She had feared it.
Thorne folded his hands. “I don’t want to stop you. I want to help.”
“Why would you?” Jessica asked bitterly.
“Because even Klara knew truth comes with a cost. You think wearing that gown is a victory? It will mark you. The world will eat you for it.”
“I’m not afraid.”
“You should be.”
He stood slowly.
“There’s a reason Dorian vanished, Jessica. He didn’t run from guilt.”
Thorne looked at her one last time, like someone peering into a fire they couldn’t put out.
“He ran because he loved you too much to ruin you himself.”
Then he walked out.
Back at the studio, Smith waited by the door.
“You saw him,” he said softly.
Jessica didn’t answer. She just handed him the letter.
Smith’s eyes scanned it quickly.
“I knew about this,” he whispered.
“You what?”
“I didn’t know the full letter, but… I knew Dorian created the framework. Klara couldn’t finish it because she didn’t believe her pain deserved a spotlight.”
Jessica stepped back.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because,” Smith said, voice breaking, “I wanted to protect the version of Klara you were holding onto. But maybe… maybe you’re ready for the whole truth now.”
She turned to leave.
“Where are you going?” he called.
“To finish a design that belongs to me,” she said, voice steel.
At 11:04 a.m., Thorne Velar walked in.
Tall. Regal. Wrinkles barely softened by age. He wore grief like a perfectly tailored coat.
He sat without greeting her.
“You’ve grown into Klara’s defiance,” he said. “But you have your father’s silence. That’s more dangerous.”
“I didn’t come for poetry,” Jessica replied coolly.
He slid a thin envelope across the table.
She didn’t touch it.
“You’re making the dress,” he said. “Good. She wanted it seen. But what she never told you is that it wasn’t hers.”
Jessica stiffened. “What do you mean?”
Thorne leaned back, eyes sharper than glass.
“*‘Daughter’ was the name. But it was Dorian’s vision. Not Klara’s. She never finished it because she didn’t agree with it.”
“That’s a lie,” she snapped.
“Is it?” His voice was calm. “Look inside the envelope.”
With trembling fingers, she opened it.
Inside: a faded letter.
Not Klara’s.
Dorian’s.
> Klara,
You said truth is the loudest color. I say it’s the ugliest. This design will free her but it will also expose us.
Our legacy was built on silence. On lies we told ourselves to survive.
Let her wear it, if you’re brave enough to let go.
But if you keep hiding, this sketch becomes her burden not her crown.
— Dorian
Jessica read it twice.
Then again.
And her heart didn’t break.
It twisted.
Klara hadn’t just hidden the dress.
She had feared it.
Thorne folded his hands. “I don’t want to stop you. I want to help.”
“Why would you?” Jessica asked bitterly.
“Because even Klara knew truth comes with a cost. You think wearing that gown is a victory? It will mark you. The world will eat you for it.”
“I’m not afraid.”
“You should be.”
He stood slowly.
“There’s a reason Dorian vanished, Jessica. He didn’t run from guilt.”
Thorne looked at her one last time, like someone peering into a fire they couldn’t put out.
“He ran because he loved you too much to ruin you himself.”
Then he walked out.
Back at the studio, Smith waited by the door.
“You saw him,” he said softly.
Jessica didn’t answer. She just handed him the letter.
Smith’s eyes scanned it quickly.
“I knew about this,” he whispered.
“You what?”
“I didn’t know the full letter, but… I knew Dorian created the framework. Klara couldn’t finish it because she didn’t believe her pain deserved a spotlight.”
Jessica stepped back.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because,” Smith said, voice breaking, “I wanted to protect the version of Klara you were holding onto. But maybe… maybe you’re ready for the whole truth now.”
She turned to leave.
“Where are you going?” he called.
“To finish a design that belongs to me,” she said, voice steel.
End of One Night in Valeria Chapter 53. Continue reading Chapter 54 or return to One Night in Valeria book page.