Valeria

I sat on the edge of the bed with my hands pressed together. My mind kept going back to everything that had happened since the very beginning since the auction. My life had changed so fast that some days it felt like I was still trying to understand where I stood.

I was still thinking when I heard a soft knock on the door.

“Valeria,” Nico called from the other side. “It’s me. I need a moment.”

My chest tightened at the sound of his voice. Nico never spoke like ...