His stunned silence did nothing to soothe the whispers now sounding like roars in Valencia's ears. It wasn't often that she questioned her choice in him — there were perhaps three singular instances that raised doubts in her mind — but this had her staring at him as if she had never known him at all. He wrote to his mother every so often, he'd told her that in passing during their brief visits. How could he have forgotten to mention their wedding?

Valencia stared at him expectantly, her sealed lips the only thing containing the inferno of anger she felt pooling in her chest.

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