~CHAPTER SEVENTY SIX~
I walk over and sit on the sofa opposite her, crossing my legs carefully. Snow stays in my arms, curled tightly against my chest, her warmth steadying me.
Valentina watches me the way people study an investment they’re unsure about.
“I know you married my son because he has leverage over you,” she says smoothly. “I don’t know what that leverage is… but I can help you.”
There it is.
The offer wrapped as concern.
I exhale slowly, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “I’ve heard you. Can I go now?”
“You haven’t given me an answer.”
Snow shifts slightly, pressing her face under my chin. And for a moment, I drift.
Isn’t this what I once wanted? An exit.
A clean way out of a marriage that started as control and negotiation.
I wanted out. God, I wanted out. I used
