VALERIE Cassie hummed thoughtfully. “He’s not wrong…”“No.” I shook my head immediately, cutting in before she could even finish aligning herself with him again. “Absolutely not.”Dominic’s eyes slid to me, intrigued now. “I don’t want shortcuts,” I continued despite the way his gaze felt like it was peeling me open layer by layer. “I want to build it from the ground up. Every connection, every step, every mistake—I want it to be mine.”Cassie went quiet. Even Dominic didn’t interrupt. “When it’s all done and ready,” I added, lifting my chin slightly, “well... Actually when it's perfect—my name will be on that cover. And then they’ll know.”A pause.“And when they do,” I said softly, “they’ll push it. Not because they have to… but because they want to stay in my handsome hubby's good books.”I watched a genuine proud smile ghost his lips. “What?” I snapped, suddenly self-conscious under that look. He leaned back again, crossing one leg over the other. “I married a smart woman.”I ro
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