Chapter 191

• VALENTINA
• ~•~
• I woke slowly in the guest suite bed, the kind of slow where your body registers the world before your mind catches up. Sunlight slipped through the heavy curtains in long pale lines across the white sheets. I lay still for several minutes with my eyes open, staring at the ceiling. The image from last night stayed sharp in my head. Gustavo on that couch in only his boxers. Gabrielle standing nearby, calm as anything, adjusting the strap of her dress with that small satisfied smile. The black silk scarf draped across his chest like she had already claimed him. My stomach twisted the same way it had when I first walked into the lounge. I pressed one hand to my chest to steady my breathing. The engagement ring on my left finger felt heavier than it should. It caught the light and sent tiny flashes dancing across the room. I turned the ring slowly on my finger and wondered if I had made the right choice staying with him last night instead of walking out again.