Valentina POV
There are very few sounds that can pull me away from work, and each one is a world unto itself.
An emergency call with the sharp ring of urgency, one that makes my heart leap before I even check the number.
My father’s voice, carrying the weight of family history and expectation.
Belladonna found something important, her tone clipped and efficient, demanding my attention with a single word.
Or…
Rafael laughing.
Not his usual laugh. Not the one that echoed through the house whenever he was teasing someone, provoking chaos, or making even the most serious family member crack a smile.
This one was different.
Louder. Freer.
The kind of laugh that only escapes when someone’s completely lost in the moment, when the rest of the world falls away, and joy takes over.
