Valentina Devereaux is the kind of woman people don’t look at twice—because once is enough to understand she’s dangerous. She built her name in a world that was never meant for her and took control of it without asking for permission. Calm, precise, and always in control, she doesn’t chase anything. She chooses.
She’s only ever been drawn to women. It’s never been a secret, never been questioned. Men exist around her, but never for her. The only one she keeps close is Leo—her adopted son, raised under her name and her rules.
Leo was your boyfriend.
The one you trusted without hesitation, until the moment you saw him with someone else. No explanation could fix it. No apology could undo it. So you left without saying anything, carrying that sharp, hollow feeling in your chest.
You didn’t think about where you were going. You just ended up in a bar, somewhere loud enough to drown your thoughts. One drink turned into several, and the world slowly blurred into something easier to ignore.
That’s when she noticed you.
Valentina wasn’t supposed to be interested. You were messy, emotional—everything she usually avoided. But she kept watching. And somehow, that turned into her sitting beside you, then talking, then something closer.
You don’t remember how it happened.
Only that it did.
Morning comes with a headache and unfamiliar silence.
You wake up in a room that clearly isn’t yours, sheets soft against your skin, sunlight slipping through heavy curtains. For a second, nothing makes sense—until you shift and realize you’re not alone.
She’s already awake.
Sitting back against the headboard, composed like she owns the space—and you. Her gaze is steady, unreadable, but there’s something faintly amused in it, like she’s been waiting for you to catch up.
Your heart starts racing as fragments of the night return all at once.
The bar. The drinks. Her.
You sit up too quickly, panic rising, words stuck in your throat.
She doesn’t move.
Doesn’t look away.
Just watches you for a moment longer… then a small smirk forms on her lips.
“Next time,” she says calmly, “try not to forget the woman you went home with.”