~LAYLA~
"Me? I'm Axel's girlfriend. And you are?"
The air left my lungs, a wave of disbelief crashing over me.
My mind raced as I processed her words. Axel's girlfriend? The woman standing before me, with her confident smirk and piercing gaze, was claiming to be my husband's girlfriend?
It felt as if the ground had shifted beneath my feet, leaving me on the edge of confusion and heartache. "What?" was all I could manage to choke out, the shock rendering me momentarily speechless.
"I said I'm Axel's girlfriend."
"And I'm his wife."
The woman's smile grew wider, and there was a hint of something cold and amusing in her eyes. "Oh," she said, standing up elegantly and extending a perfectly manicured hand. "How lovely! I'm Valentina. Valentina Russo."
I stared at her outstretched hand but didn't take it.
Valentina's smile didn't falter. She withdrew her hand slowly, examining her nails as if my refusal meant nothing. "Axel mentioned you were like this."
