Chapter 109
Chapter 109:
At Valeria’s consultation room, Helena reclined on the sofa, her eyes tightly closed. Each breath was short and sharp, betraying her inner chaos.
Suddenly, Valeria snapped her fingers with a sharp flick, her voice cutting through the silence. “You can wake up now p>
Helena’s eyes fluttered open, revealing her ghostly pale face, a stark contrast to her usual vibrant self.
With a gentle hand, Valeria assisted Helena into a seated position and offered her a glass of water.
Without missing a beat, Valeria dove into the heart of the matter. “Helena, it’s clear you’re struggling. That was by far the least effective hypnosis we’ve had in two years. As your therapist, I need to understand what’s been weighing on you so heavily.” Her tone was firm yet caring, urging Helena to open up.
Helena’s gaze dropped to her hands, twisted together in her lap. A silent battle raged within her as she searched for the right words.
Valeria, sensing her hesitation, gently prodded her. “Could it be the stress from the second round of the Nexus TV news anchor selection? Did things not go as planned p>
A fleeting, bitter smile touched Helena’s lips, a glimmer of emotion in her otherwise stoic demeanor. “No, I passed it,” she responded. Recently, her career seemed to be on an upward trajectory, smoother than ever, and even Betsey had steered clear of her lately.
Valeria, removing her glasses with a weary sigh, studied Helena’s face intently. “Then I’m guessing this is about a man p>
“Valeria, just answer me one thing first.” Helena slowly raised her head, her eyes locking with Valeria’s—serious, unwavering, and laced with a quiet intensity.
Valeria’s shoulders tensed as a flicker of unease tightened in her chest. She forced a casual wave of her hand, brushing the tension off like it was nothing. “Let’s keep personal topics to a minimum during our sessions, shall we?” she suggested.
Helena’s face hardened, her resolve unmistakable. “But this is really important to me,” she insisted, leaning forward slightly, the urgency in her voice palpable. “I need you to be honest with me. When you went to Frida’s villa for that emergency session… how much did Alden pay you for it p>
Caught off guard by such a direct question, Valeria hesitated, her eyes narrowing slightly as she regarded Helena with a flicker of suspicion. “A hundred thousand dollars. Didn’t Alden tell you that himself?” she replied, her tone laced with disbelief.
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Something wasn’t adding up. What on earth was going on between these two?
Helena seemed to reel from the revelation, her breath catching in her throat. A hundred thousand dollars! The number echoed in her mind like a thunderclap—it was staggering, wildly beyond what she had imagined.
“Valeria, I’m sorry,” Helena remarked, her voice even. “We’ll have to cut this short. There’s something I need to take care of—right now.” Without a word, she stood, her expression strained and rigid as she moved for the exit.
Valeria had never witnessed Helena in such a state—her usual poise replaced with a palpable unease. Sensing the gravity of the moment, Valeria canceled her other commitments and followed Helena silently, her concern deepening with each step.
“I’m coming with you,” Valeria offered softly.
Helena didn’t argue. Instead, she linked arms with Valeria, her smile tinged with relief and gratitude.
The two of them made their way to the bank in silence. Once inside, Helena pulled out the card Alden had handed her—meant solely for her living expenses.
Valeria seemed to sense the turmoil brewing within Helena. “That card isn’t yours, is it?” she asked, her voice low and knowing.
Helena shook her head, her lips pressed into a thin, conflicted line. Spending Alden’s money had never crossed her mind, leaving her completely unaware of what the account actually held.
With trembling hands, Helena inserted the card into the ATM, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at the balance.
Valeria, unfazed and curious, leaned in and tapped through the options without missing a beat.
The screen displayed a staggering six million dollars.
Helena gasped softly. In the mere span of their five-month marriage, Alden had been depositing a million dollars a month into this account.
“You seriously haven’t swiped this once since your wedding day?” Valeria let out a sigh, tilting her head.
With a touch of pity, Valeria said, “Helena… maybe you don’t know Alden as well as you thought you did.” Each word was a blow to Helena’s heart.
She used to think she had Alden figured out. But lately, it felt like peeling back layers of someone she barely recognized—each day revealing a version of him she hadn’t seen before.
Emily’s haunting words echoed in Helena’s mind.
If it had been merely a fake marriage that she and Alden had initially agreed upon, perhaps the sting wouldn’t have been so deep.
Yet, Alden had vowed to forge a genuine bond, to be her real family. It was he who had promised to help her dismantle the towering walls around her fear of intimacy.
A veil of sadness draped over Helena’s features, her eyes misting as her voice dwindled to a whisper. “Valeria, am I truly that gullible?” she asked, her heart aching with doubt.
Alden, for all his enigmatic charm, seldom offered explanations. She was afraid that pressing him too hard would only drive a wedge between them. So, she bit her tongue more often than not.
Valeria’s response was swift and earnest. She dipped her head slightly, earnestly leveling her gaze with Helena’s.
“Helena, I believe it’s quite the contrary,” Valeria countered with a gentle conviction. “You’re sharp—it would take an extraordinary deception to obscure the truth from your discerning eyes. What baffles me is why Alden is exerting such effort. What does he truly seek by drawing so close to you p>
Helena’s eyes widened, a flicker of surprise crossing her features. “This is the first time you’ve ever defended Alden,” she noted, a note of bewilderment lacing her words.
Valeria’s lips tightened briefly in a thoughtful pout. “I’m certainly not his advocate. But even in court, everyone deserves to be heard—fairly and fully p>
After all, Alden had been depositing a staggering sum into that bank card every month. Perhaps it had never dawned on him that Helena, his endearingly naive girl, had no desire to wield his wealth or the formidable influence he wielded from the shadows.
A sudden spark of clarity ignited within Helena. “I need to speak with him,” she stated, her decision firm.
Her gaze drifted toward Leonino, who stood a short distance away, his posture patient but alert—clearly, he’d been waiting there for quite a while without saying a word.
Helena gave Valeria a playful nudge on the shoulder, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “You’ve got a knack for sorting through my drama,” she teased. “So, come on—what’s your plan for cleaning up your own mess p>