𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄

Chapter Seventy-Seven

VALENTINA
LARS

I opened the door to the penthouse, half-regretting it the second I saw him. Damien leaned against the doorframe, looking at me with a strange mix of frustration and something that might've been regret. He was lucky Christian was in the shower.

"Valentina," he said, his voice low and a little rough. "I hope you can forgive me, because you're my sister, and I don't want to ever lose you. I'd rather lose Christian, but not you. Never you."

I crossed my arms, meeting his gaze with a steady glare. "If you really want me to forgive you, then apologize to my boyfriend," I snapped. "Because I'm not coming back if he's not coming with me."

Damien's expression hardened, his jaw clenching as he stepped fully inside, shutting the door behind him. He looked down at me, and I held my ground, refusing to back down. I wasn't little Valentina anymore, afraid of my big brother's anger.

"You want me to forgive and talk to my so-called best friend?" he growled, his voice a dark, dangerous whisper. "The one who betrayed me—and got involved with my sister? That's what you want?" His hand gripped my arm, holding me in place. "Because I can't do that. But I want you home, today. Mom's going insane, Dad is too, and so am I."

A laugh bubbled up from my throat, sharp and bitter. "Good," I said with a shrug. "Why should I care?"

"They're your parents!" he shot back, his voice raw and exasperated.

"They're our parents," I replied, my tone turning icy. "But they only care when I make a choice for myself. They only come running when I do something they don't like. Why would I ever come back to that?"

Damien's grip loosened, and for a second, I saw a flicker of something almost vulnerable in his eyes, but I wasn't sure if it was enough to make me stay. Before Damien could respond, the bathroom door opened, and Christian stepped out, toweling his damp hair. He froze when he saw us, his eyes narrowing as he took in Damien's tense stance and my arm still caught in his grip.

"What the hell is going on?" Christian's voice was calm, but there was a razor-sharp edge to it as he looked from Damien to me.

Damien immediately dropped my arm, straightening up. "Nothing you need to worry about," he said, his tone icy. "I'm just here to bring my sister back home."

Christian took a slow step forward, his gaze fixed on Damien with a quiet intensity. "If you think scaring her is the way to do that, you're dead wrong. You don't get to come in here and bully her into leaving."

Damien's eyes darkened, fists clenching at his sides. "She's my sister, and this is family business. You don't get to interfere, not after what you pulled."

Christian crossed his arms, unfazed. "Valentina's not your property, Damien. She can make her own choices, and she chose me. If you actually cared about her, you'd respect that."

Damien took a step forward, his face inches from Christian's, a silent threat in his eyes. "Don't talk to me about respect," he growled. "I trusted you, and you went behind my back."

Christian met his stare head-on, his voice steady. "I didn't go behind your back, Damien. I fell in love with her. And if you can't handle that, it's your problem, not hers. Don't punish her for it." Damien looked at me, then back at Christian, his expression flickering between anger and something else, something raw and wounded. "I don't want to lose her, Christian."

"Then let her be happy," Christian said softly, his tone no longer combative but earnest. "If you care about her at all, let her make her own choices."

For a moment, silence filled the room, tension thick in the air. Damien's eyes softened just a fraction as he looked at me. Then, without another word, he turned and walked out, leaving us in a heavy silence.

The door clicked shut, and the moment Damien was gone, the weight of everything hit me like a tidal wave. I felt my knees give way, and before I knew it, I was sinking to the floor, the tears finally spilling over. All the strength I'd held onto shattered in an instant. Christian was there in a heartbeat, kneeling beside me as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. I buried my face against his chest, the sobs wracking my body as every emotion I'd been holding back crashed over me.

"I'm here, baby." he murmured, his voice soft, a steady comfort in the storm. He tightened his hold on me, his hand gently running up and down my back as I clung to him, my fingers gripping his shirt like he was the only thing keeping me grounded.

"It's okay," he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of my head. "Let it out, Val. I've got you."

"I just—" I choked on the words, the weight of the past few days crashing down. "I can't keep pretending it doesn't hurt... feeling like I have to choose between him and you. Like he'll never accept us."

Christian pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes, his hands cupping my face. "I know it's hard, but you don't have to choose, Valentina. I'm here no matter what. I'll always be here."

I nodded, feeling the steady warmth of his presence, his words anchoring me. "Thank you," I whispered, my voice trembling.

He pulled me against him again, holding me tightly on the floor, not saying another word, just letting me cry. And as he held me, the weight of it all slowly started to lift, replaced by a quiet, fragile hope that maybe, with him by my side, I could face whatever came next.

_

I was lying next to Christian, and it was one of those quiet moments when everything felt... peaceful. Maybe too peaceful. I couldn't help myself; I needed to break the silence, even if it meant saying something completely ridiculous.

"I don't think I'd want to get pregnant anytime soon," I blurted out, shrugging. "Especially at this age. Plus... if I did, I'd only want daughters. No boys."

Christian raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Only daughters, huh? And why's that?"

"Because boys are trouble," I replied, smirking a little. "Would you even love me if I only wanted girls?"

He laughed softly. "Baby, I'd love you no matter what. Besides, I'd rather have girls too. Boys are way more trouble than they're worth." Something in his tone changed, though, and I noticed a flicker of nervousness in his eyes as he went quiet.

"Are you okay? You look tense," I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Relax, it's not like I'm asking you to... I don't know, make me a mom right now. I'm on birth control, anyway." I shrugged. "Or do you not love me enough to imagine us having kids someday?" I added, teasingly.

Christian shook his head, letting out a small chuckle. "Of course I want kids with you. Believe me, I want that... more than anything."

"Oh, really?" I shot back, raising an eyebrow. "Because I was thinking maybe we could have a little while to ourselves before the chaos begins. And honestly, I don't want Bridget thinking I did it on purpose or something. I just want some peace now. That bitch is not worth shit."

At the mention of Bridget, Christian's expression shifted. His jaw clenched, and his fists tightened next to me. "Who cares about her?" he muttered, voice darkening. "If you did get pregnant, no one—especially her—would have any right to say anything about it. If it happened, it would be because it's what's meant to be."

I let out a little laugh, surprised by his intensity. "Since when do you talk like this?"

He relaxed, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Since you. You made me a believer, baby."