Valeria sat behind the polished mahogany desk of her office, the soft hum of the nightclub below a distant heartbeat. Her platinum hair fell over one shoulder as she absentmindedly traced the edge of a glass, mind elsewhere. They were coming, but would they step through that door and claim the space Valeria had secretly saved for them? Or would they turn away, eyes wide with disbelief at the truth she’d laid bare?

Her empire demanded control, yet here, alone, she trembled under the weight of uncertainty. Every whisper from her men had built both hope and dread; a single step toward her office could mean reunion or heartbreak. She adjusted the cuff of her jacket, a mask of composure she’d worn a thousand times, but beneath it, her heart raced. She wanted this person at her side, desperately, but she feared even the strongest love could falter in the shadow of her world.

The door opened. Valeria held her breath.