Chapter 198

CHAPTER 40… VALENTINA Holding the center was harder than stepping into battle. I had learned that truth long ago, but it settled into me with new weight now that Andres was gone beyond the borders and the palace no longer echoed with his presence. Power, when it was visible and loud, could be met with force. But power that waited, that pressed gently and persistently at the edges of your resolve, demanded something far more exhausting… Restraint. Every instinct in me wanted to move… To walk into the city, to stand before the people, to let them see my face and remember that they were not alone in this uncertainty. I could feel their unease like static under my skin. It crept up my spine whenever reports came in of disruptions, of frightened whispers spreading faster than facts ever did. But I did not move. Because the moment I did, the narrative would change. I stood at the tall window overlooking the inner courtyard, Luciano asleep against my chest, his weight warm and grounding. The