juliannarossâ:
Julianna knew Valentina wasnât here to âcheck out her competition.â She knew this because she and Valentina were similar, and Julianna would never go to El Diablo to âcheck out her competition.â There would be a motive behind it, something deeper. So naturally, Julianna assumed Valentina had a motive, too. Julianna gave her bartender a nod when he returned with the drinks, and she slid her drink over so it was close in front of her, but she didnât take a sip.
âYour bar was doing just fine last I heard,â Julianna responded. Sure, she didnât know her financial situation exactly, but obviously she checked up on the Navarro family. She knew El Diablo was never empty. âTry again.â If Valentina was going to feed her a lie, she needed to feed Julianna a better one.
Even when Valentina was at her lowest, she was always searching for the next thing. Always on her feet, getting herself into some kind of trouble. Maybe it was because living on the edge, too high on adrenaline to think about the fear was the only way she knew how to go through life. It was easy not to think about consequences that way, when your mind was far too busy to ever stop.
But looking at Julianna brought back that nasty little pause in her brain, forced to think about what she was doing. She hadnât come to Hopperâs with any plan in mind, but seeing the eldest Ross sibling was something even she couldnât prepare herself for. Seeing her reminded Valentina of the shreds of guilt she felt towards the others situation. Sheâd sent flowers at the time, offering her condolences. But unlike her brothers and others who had done the same, hers was genuine, despite the information she held. âI never got to speak with you personally after I heard what happened to your father. I know what itâs like to lose someone you love dearly.â Her words were said with the utmost sincerity, the kind that she couldnât even fake. Taking a pause, as well as a sip of her drink, Valentina pressed down on her lips before looking at Julianna yet again. âI know we arenât really on the same side of many things, but Iâd be kicking myself if I never got to reach out.â















