CHAPTER 158

ANASTASIA

We spent the rest of the dinner talking about everything. It felt nice to discuss things in a civil conversation. What I loved most was how much we had in common. We both suffered a great deal of hurt but continued to be strong. We were fierce warriors, and even if he didn’t see it—I did.

On the drive home, he brought up my mother and asked how she was doing. Sadly, I hadn’t spoken to the facility in a couple of days. They wanted to limit her visits, but a small part of me felt like I was neglecting her.

How foolish was that? She neglected me my whole life and here I am growing sad on my ‘happy’ day just because I feel like I’m neglecting her. With a sigh, I glanced over at Valentino, who had just finished showering. I took a shower before him, even though I would’ve been happier if he had joined me.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. I laid back in his bed and shook my head back and forth. I wasn’t going to allow my thoughts to ruin my night. It was my day, I believe I had worked so