Valerie stood in front of her window, staring out at the sprawling garden that stretched across the back of her mansion. The flowers bloomed lazily under the soft rays of the late afternoon sun, but she barely noticed them. Her mind was elsewhere, consumed by the storm of thoughts swirling in her chest.
Her thoughts drifted to Michael Westbrook. She hadn't seen him in weeks, but she remembered their last meeting—the way he had looked at her with those warm, doe eyes. His smile had been genuine, the kind she hadn't seen in a long time. She had been distant with him, keeping her emotions locked away like a vault. Valerie Blackstone wasn't the type to open up, not anymore. Not to anyone. But Michael—he was different. She couldn't place it, but something about him had made her want to lower h
