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Why Val from 'The Hitman's Mark' is the Ultimate Bad Girl

August 18, 2023

Gone are the days where damsel in distress stories reign supreme (unless you love those stories, in which case, read on!). We're in our strong-woman-lead era, hunting for compelling reads that shine the spotlight on women protagonists that are equal matches to, or stronger than, their counterparts. Yes, we have someone in mind and no, we're not going to leave you hanging. Enter: Valentina Romano (aka Val) from The Hitman's Mark, a hit Wattpad story featured in our Where Bad Boy x Bad Girl Stories Live Reading List.

Emily A. Renfroe's hit crime story follows the journey home of a mafia family heiress, returning to claim her rightful spot at the top. And, of course, it's not without spice—notorious New York City hitman Matteo Costa is there to watch over her as her personal guard. While many mafia crime stories feature satiating romantic man-saves-woman plots, The Hitman's Mark is a new kind of mafia romance, that equally celebrates the spice as it does the strength of women in positions of power. And that, Wattpadders, is hot.

Here's how Val from The Hitman's Mark  is leading the way to a whole new kind of mafia romance story.

1. She's not afraid to claim her power

After tragedy shatters the Romano family, their fate rests almost entirely on Valentina. She wastes no time to spring into action to claim her spot at the top (#goals), knowing the danger that lies before her and what this new role is asking of her: to go to any lengths necessary to uphold her family's power. On top of her new job description, she also claims her power as a woman—leaning into her brilliant, cunning ways as a leader, while also leaning into desire with Matteo.

2. She's not your typical damsel in distress

While we love a classic damsel in distress story, Val flips the trope completely on its head—and we're obsessed with it. She has no time to be a damsel in distress, actually. She's too busy being the Romano boss, proving that she doesn't need to be married to be the boss, and moving into her position knowing full well that the family's biggest rivals would be out for blood once they knew. She's even thrown off her guard as Matteo underestimates her, assuming she'd be eaten alive by New York City's underground (spoiler alert: he's wrong). This principessa proves she has what it takes to navigate the world of organized crime, even throwing Matteo off his own game when he realizes he's more into her than he initially thought.

3. She represents modern womanhood

Being a strong, independent woman isn't just about being powerful on paper—you know, the kind of powerful normally associated with being a man. It also means living life authentically and embracing what you really want (and sometimes that comes in the form of a man 👀). Val represents what it means to embrace all aspects of her identity; of both being a mafia boss and of being a woman with desire... for her hot bodyguard. Her incredible strength doesn't just come from accepting a position in her family she couldn't refuse, but also from not shying away from what partly makes her human—a desire to be in relation to other people (*cough* Matteo *cough*). Gone are the days when women could only be one thing. Val is all of them.

Here's what we want to know: Out of all the Wattpad stories you've read, who is your favorite woman protagonist and why?

Looking for more bad boy stories with strong woman leads? Check out our Where Bad Boy x Bad Girl Stories Live Reading List.