Chapter 192

• VALENTINA
• I stood inside my suite with my back pressed against the closed door. The wood felt solid and cool through the thin fabric of my blouse. My heart still beat fast from the conversation with Gustavo downstairs. I held the cream envelope in one hand and stared at the gold wax seal that had already begun to crack. The words on the note inside repeated in my mind. A grand masquerade ball in two weeks. Gustavo would take me as his date. Every major family in the city would attend. I pictured the crowded room filled with masks and expensive gowns and men who killed without blinking. The thought sent a mix of fear and strange excitement through my chest.
• I walked slowly to the bed and sat on the edge. The mattress dipped under my weight. I placed the envelope on the nightstand and stared at it for a long moment. This invitation marked the first time Gustavo would show me off in public as something more than his assistant. I wondered if the other guests would see me as a prize or as a threat.