Tonia's POV
Mr. Eden droned on with his tour, but his words became white noise as I struggled to regulate my breathing. My chest felt tight, each inhale more difficult than the last.
Against every instinct screaming at me to look away, my gaze kept drifting back to Kermit. Each stolen glance felt like pressing on a fresh wound.
He and Valeria had grown increasingly intimate throughout the evening. She laughed at something he whispered, then boldly lifted his wine glass to her lips, drinking from it without hesitation. He watched her with an expression I recognized all too well, one that used to be reserved for me alone.
What twisted the knife deeper wasn't just seeing him with another woman. It was witnessing how genuine his interest appeared. This wasn't some calculated performance or rebound fling. Kermit looked completely at ease, like a man who had successfully buried his past and embraced his future.
