Marco imagined himself at the engagement party—standing among the guests, watching her celebrate a future that did not include him. He forced a small, polite smile and shook his head. "No, no I will not. I don't want to put Ricardo in an awkward position," he said.
It was a lie, and they both knew it. Ricardo's comfort was merely a convenient excuse. Marco did not trust himself to watch the woman he loved pledge her life to another man.
"Marco…I wish things were different."
A quiet sigh escaped him as he leaned back in his chair. "Yeah," he admitted. "It's my fault. I complicated everything."
Valentina instinctively wanted to reassure him—to say the expected words: Don't blame yourself, or These things just happen. But the truth lodged stubbornly in her throat. Ever since the day he kissed her, nothing had felt simple. That single moment had awakened emotions that confused her.
