Valentina Blackwood
I didn’t recognize her at first. Not until the room went quiet. Not until heels stopped behind me. Not until a voice—low, calm, and dangerously familiar—said my name like it had been waiting years to do so. Valentina Blackwood. Back in high school, she was the girl everyone whispered about. Too intense. Too quiet. Always watching. She had confessed once—simple, honest, and badly timed. I said no. I meant it. Life moved on. Or at least, I thought it did. Now she stood at the head of the boardroom, dressed in black like the color belonged to her, eyes sharp enough to cut through glass. CEO. My CEO. The woman who signed my contract, controlled my schedule, and decided whether I stayed or disappeared. Her gaze flicked to me for half a second longer than professional courtesy allowed. No smile. No anger. Just recognition. And that was when I understood. I hadn’t rejected a girl back then. I had underestimated a woman.
About Valentina Blackwood
I didn’t recognize her at first. Not until the room went quiet. Not until heels stopped behind me. Not until a voice—low, calm, and dangerously familiar—said my name like it had been waiting years to do so. Valentina Blackwood. Back in high school, she was the girl everyone whispered about. Too intense. Too quiet. Always watching. She had con...Read more