The door to Valentina and Matheus’s house swung open, and the maid’s polite smile barely registered as I stormed inside, my heart a knotted mess of anger and hurt. The air in their home was warm, scented with lavender and something baking in the oven, but it did little to soothe the storm raging inside me. My footsteps echoed on the polished hardwood, each one heavy with the weight of everything I’d been carrying—Roberta, the baby, Oliver, the contract. It was all too much, and I was unraveling.
“Anny!” Valentina’s voice was bright, her smile wide as she appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. But her expression faltered when she saw me, her eyes narrowing with concern. “Hey, you okay?”
“Hi, Valentina,” I said, forcing a tight smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Is Mat
