Pastries for Her.

L E N & B U R G E R

Lenovo Donovan's Mansion.

"Valerie, if she gets to know you're behind everything, she'll destroy you."

"What more she could destroy, brother?" Valerie quirked one of her eyebrows up, intensely looking at his brother who sat across from her in his office room.

"Seriously?" Lenovo scoffed, giving his sister the look that clearly said 'you're unbelievable.' Valerie averted her eyes away and stared far into the distance with the hard look. They both knew they had a lot to lose.

"You dragged yourself into this Len." Valerie says, her voice robotic and devoid of any emotions.

"That's because I care for you. But of course, you wouldn't know that because you're way too selfish." Lenovo yells. He was frustrated by his sister's unfathomable behavior. It was like he was talking to a robot rather than his own sister. He didn't want her to go against María Jose, that woman was venom and lord knows what she was capable of. Lenovo had almost lost his sister one time, he wasn't willing to lose her again.

Valerie stared in to the distance. The words had stung her, yet she stood there showing no emotions. There wasn't anything she could do to prove his brother wrong, though deep inside she knew that he was right. She had been selfish, she had pushed everybody she has loved in order to save her own heart from feeling the pain, yet she wasn't sorry for that because she knew that she was doing them a favor.

"So be it, brother." She says.

"You know what Valerie, I'm done with your shit. I can't put up with you and I'm going to talk to dad about your plan on taking on María." Lenovo sighs. He knew that only their dad can stop her now. Valerie reluctantly stood up from her chair. She knew if their dad got to know about her plans then she'll be grounded and as far as it seemed hilarious to the world, Marcus Donovan wouldn't hesitate to lock up Valerie for doing something he wouldn't even think of doing.

"Look Lenovo, I didn't involve you in this. So it'll be better if you don't poke your nose into my business." Valerie spat, getting anguished over her brother's words. She didn't even care if she sounded rude at this point.

"Your business? Valerie you know how dangerous that woman is! I'm trying to help you for god's sake." Lenovo yells frustratedly while running his fingers through his hair.

"I don't want your help!" Valerie yells back glaring at his brother.

"You think you can take her alone?"

"I have a deal with Anderson."

"Anderson? Charles Anderson?" Lenovo asks, disbelief sounded clear in his voice. Valerie only nods her head as a reply.

"Fuckin' hell Valerie, what did you drag yourself into. That man is a backstabber."

If a frustrated Lenovo wasn't enough, Valerie had to make him angrier and lord knows Lenovo was fed up of keeping up with his sister.

"A little bit of trust in me wouldn't harm you, brother." Valerie says monotonously.

"Trust? The last time I trusted you, it costed me a life Valerie." Lenovo retorts back unknowingly, his raged-filled eyes had turned into moisture now, and that was the time Valerie knew that she had lost into this argument.

She immediately looks away as the past mortifications and guilt cripples back to her. She felt like somebody was tearing her heart from insides and she was letting them, because she knew it was her fault. Who else was to be blamed for her own ruin? Losing a life in the mafia wasn't a new thing, it was like those who were in to it had already signed their death certificate before entering into this world. Nothing was guaranteed here. Yet she knew, Lenovo didn't deserve it. She still felt his pain and she knew he had been trying to bottle up everything and not spill out. How can Valerie not expect him to be mad at her when she had been the cause?

"It's better for me to stay away then. I won't let myself come between you and your family, Lenovo." She says and turns back before moving towards the door, not once letting his brother see how hard his words had hit her.

"You're my family too, Valerie." She stops when she hears her brother whisper, she knew he was vulnerable at this point.

Valerie knew if she stayed one more moment here, she'll break down. She didn't want to hurt her family. She only wanted to protect them, she didn't want to repeat her mistakes from the past. But it seemed like it was almost impossible for her to do so. Just like a moth drawn to a flame, troubles followed Valerie. She had to walk with eyes behind her back.

She knew that Lenovo still didn't forgive her and she couldn't blame him, the sin she had committed wasn't something that could be forgiven and forgotten and he was hurting more than she was, who was she to complain about her pain? How dare she think about her pain in the first place when she had been the cause of it all?

"Am I?" She whispers softly, her face still turned away from her brother.

Valerie waited for Lenovo to say something back, anything. But the silence was the only thing she was greeted with and somehow she realized that was the answer to her question.

"Don't worry Lenovo, I promise you I'll stay out of your way. Congratulations on your upcoming engagement, I won't ruin it for you."

And with that, Valerie walks out of the door with coldness in her voice and emptiness in her heart.

Valerie shuts the door hard to her car. Why is it that whenever she and her brother met, they always ended up in an argument? Couldn't they be just civil for even a second? She knew she was stubborn but he didn't have to be such a prick to her. If only he had minded his own damn business, today wouldn't have occurred.

"Where to Miss Donovan?"

Martin, her chauffeur's voice, brings Valerie out of her thoughts. It was only 4 in the afternoon and Valerie didn't want to go back to her penthouse. She knew there was a certain green eyed man waiting to annoy her there and at this moment, she knew she might end up shooting his head. And to make the matters more worse, she was hungry. She just wanted some food in her system.

"Take me to Kelora's. I'm hungry."

Kelora was a fast food restaurant in the busy street of NYC, and god knows it has been a while since Valerie craved their burgers.

Martin only chuckles at that and turns on the ignition. Somehow, he knew that Valerie have been going through rough times. He almost felt sorry for the girl, but Martin knew that things changed people. He was indeed aware of everything she has gone through. Martin have been her chauffer ever since Marcus Donovan instructed him to drive her to her school. From her school days to the present, he had almost figured out Valerie Donovan and he knew how much she herself missed being the old happy her.

There had not been a single day when Valerie not used to plead Martin to stop the car and buy Kelora's burger for her, and though Marcus used to strictly warn Martin about Valerie's eating habits, the chauffeur couldn't help but melt under the little Valerie's pleas.

"Do you think the taste of the burgers might have changed in five years?"

Martin hears Valerie whisper and he somehow knew the question was directed towards him. After all, he wasn't the only one recollecting the old memories.

"Some thing's don't change Miss Donovan."