One Night in Valeria - Chapter 6: Chapter 6
You are reading One Night in Valeria, Chapter 6: Chapter 6. Read more chapters of One Night in Valeria.
The office was silent, but Jessica's mind was chaos.
The photo from last night sat at the bottom of her bag, burned into her thoughts like a flame she couldn’t smother.
Her mother had never spoken much about her youth in Velaria. Always changing the subject, always looking over her shoulder, like a woman with too many memories and not enough forgiveness.
But this?
This man beside her in the photo he wasn’t just handsome.
He looked like Liam.
The same piercing stare.
The same clenched jaw.
The same aura of power wrapped in silence.
She needed answers.
Velaria Public Archives – South Lunaria
The hall smelled like paper and old grief.
Jessica sifted through yellowed newspapers and brittle records, searching for anything with the name Hale.
And there it was.
“Scandal at Velar Gala: Klara Hale escorted from event after clash with board members.”
Her mother.
Escorted out? Why?
No other details. Just a grainy black and white photo… and beside her…
A younger man.
Same eyes. Same face.
Liam’s father?
Jessica stared at the image for a long time.
If her mother had history with the Velars… then maybe her success now wasn’t a coincidence.
Maybe she was just a pawn in a bigger game.
Meanwhile, Liam’s Office. “You said Hale?” Liam asked quietly.
His private investigator nodded. “Yes, sir. Klara Hale. Former model and fashion consultant. Vanished from Velarian society twenty-five years ago after an unconfirmed scandal with....“My father,” Liam finished coldly.
The pieces fell into place like glass shattering.
Jessica wasn’t just anyone.She was her daughter.The woman his family destroyed.
The woman who walked away from Velaria, pregnant, silent, and shamed.
Liam closed his eyes briefly, his jaw tightening.
He didn’t know whether to pull Jessica closer… or push her away completely.
Back at Velar Global
When Jessica arrived at her studio the next morning, whispers followed her like shadows.
Someone had posted a photo online.
Her.
On the rooftop.
With Liam.
Too close.
Too intimate.
Too easy to twist.
“Who is she?”
“He never lets anyone near him.”
“She’s just another social climber.”
“Classic PR setup. She’ll be gone in a month.”
She didn’t flinch.But inside, she burned.
She was sick of being someone people talked about instead of listened to.
That Night…
She stood alone in her studio, lights dimmed, sketching like a woman possessed.
The door opened behind her.
She turned quickly expecting an intern or security.
It was him.
Liam.
He walked in slowly, his face unreadable, his voice low.
“Don’t read the headlines.”
She crossed her arms. “Why not? Seems like everyone else is.”
A pause.
Then softly, “They don’t see you. They just see what scares them.”
Her heart ached. “And what do you see, Mr. Velar?”
His gaze locked on hers.
Long. Weighted.
“Someone I shouldn’t want to protect. But do.”
She froze.Something flickered in her chest.Memory.Desire.Recognition.
Almost.But not quite.
The photo from last night sat at the bottom of her bag, burned into her thoughts like a flame she couldn’t smother.
Her mother had never spoken much about her youth in Velaria. Always changing the subject, always looking over her shoulder, like a woman with too many memories and not enough forgiveness.
But this?
This man beside her in the photo he wasn’t just handsome.
He looked like Liam.
The same piercing stare.
The same clenched jaw.
The same aura of power wrapped in silence.
She needed answers.
Velaria Public Archives – South Lunaria
The hall smelled like paper and old grief.
Jessica sifted through yellowed newspapers and brittle records, searching for anything with the name Hale.
And there it was.
“Scandal at Velar Gala: Klara Hale escorted from event after clash with board members.”
Her mother.
Escorted out? Why?
No other details. Just a grainy black and white photo… and beside her…
A younger man.
Same eyes. Same face.
Liam’s father?
Jessica stared at the image for a long time.
If her mother had history with the Velars… then maybe her success now wasn’t a coincidence.
Maybe she was just a pawn in a bigger game.
Meanwhile, Liam’s Office. “You said Hale?” Liam asked quietly.
His private investigator nodded. “Yes, sir. Klara Hale. Former model and fashion consultant. Vanished from Velarian society twenty-five years ago after an unconfirmed scandal with....“My father,” Liam finished coldly.
The pieces fell into place like glass shattering.
Jessica wasn’t just anyone.She was her daughter.The woman his family destroyed.
The woman who walked away from Velaria, pregnant, silent, and shamed.
Liam closed his eyes briefly, his jaw tightening.
He didn’t know whether to pull Jessica closer… or push her away completely.
Back at Velar Global
When Jessica arrived at her studio the next morning, whispers followed her like shadows.
Someone had posted a photo online.
Her.
On the rooftop.
With Liam.
Too close.
Too intimate.
Too easy to twist.
“Who is she?”
“He never lets anyone near him.”
“She’s just another social climber.”
“Classic PR setup. She’ll be gone in a month.”
She didn’t flinch.But inside, she burned.
She was sick of being someone people talked about instead of listened to.
That Night…
She stood alone in her studio, lights dimmed, sketching like a woman possessed.
The door opened behind her.
She turned quickly expecting an intern or security.
It was him.
Liam.
He walked in slowly, his face unreadable, his voice low.
“Don’t read the headlines.”
She crossed her arms. “Why not? Seems like everyone else is.”
A pause.
Then softly, “They don’t see you. They just see what scares them.”
Her heart ached. “And what do you see, Mr. Velar?”
His gaze locked on hers.
Long. Weighted.
“Someone I shouldn’t want to protect. But do.”
She froze.Something flickered in her chest.Memory.Desire.Recognition.
Almost.But not quite.
End of One Night in Valeria Chapter 6. Continue reading Chapter 7 or return to One Night in Valeria book page.