Chapter 182

• GUSTAVO
• Late afternoon light came through the windows of the master suite and caught on the full-length mirror. I stood in front of it, adjusting the black tuxedo jacket. The fabric fit clean across my shoulders. Tie knotted straight. Cuff links in place. I checked my watch. Guests were already downstairs. Voices drifted up from the grand hall. Laughter. Clinking glasses. The string quartet played soft in the background. Everything was moving the way I wanted.
• I looked at myself one more time. Satisfaction settled in my chest. Tonight was for us. For Valentina. For the ring on her finger and the future we were building. I thought about her downstairs. Radiant in that gown. The way she’d smiled when I told her how beautiful she looked. The way her hand rested on my arm earlier. It felt right. Solid. I loved her. No more fighting it.