Chapter 353

• VALENTINA
• ~•~
• I squeezed his hand, feeling the calluses and the warmth of his skin beneath the drying blood. “Yes,” I whispered, leaning closer until our foreheads touched. His breath mingled with mine, warm and ragged, carrying the familiar scent of him beneath the metallic tang of violence. “I believe it with everything I am, Gustavo. You’ve already proven it tonight. You carried Luca through that hallway when most men would have saved themselves. You shielded me in those tunnels even while you were bleeding out. You’re not perfect—no one in this world is—but you’re trying. For me. For Luca. For this little one kicking like they already know their father’s fighting for them.”