Chapter 64

• VALENTINA
• ~•~
• The weight of the new responsibility pressed on me as I stood at the front of the hall. Every eye was fixed on me, and I could feel it in my bones. The room hushed, the shuffle of feet and whispers fading as the models formed neat rows. Their faces carried a mixture of curiosity, hope, and even relief. Everyone knew Cassy’s reputation—her sharp tongue, her coldness. They were ready for something different, and now all of that expectation sat squarely on me.