Valerie had protection.
Valerie had power though she never sought it.
And now… Valerie had love she did not even need to ask for.
Bianca lifted her gaze once more.
Demian was leaning in, whispering something to Valerie. Valerie frowned slightly, then laughed softly a small, unguarded laugh. Demian answered with a faint smile, an expression he rarely showed to anyone.
Heat spread through Bianca's chest.
Not just envy.
But the sense that life had never dealt her a fair hand.
Her hands returned to work, her movements now rougher. Water dripped onto the stone floor, mingling with the faint reflection of her face a woman who always felt one step behind, always watching, never the center of the story.
And in her heart, without fully realizing it, a question began to take shape slowly, dangerously, What if all of that… was meant to be mine?
Valerie realized the gaze was no coincidence.
