For the first time, he felt a deep reluctance creeping in. Then, at that moment, his gaze landed on Valentina fully.
She stood there, unaffected by Maria's words, or at least pretending to be. There was a quiet strength in her posture, a presence that was undeniably different from Chloe's. She didn't need to declare anything or prove her worth—she simply existed with an elegance that spoke for itself.
At that moment a flicker of something stirred in his chest.
Was he really making the right decision?
For a split second, it was as if time had rewound. The Valentina he had once known, the woman he had secretly admired for so long, stood right in front of him.
But this wasn't just the Valentina from the past—this was a version of her that was even more breathtaking. Every feature, every movement, every glance carried an effortless elegance that left him momentarily speechless.
