Page 108 of Whispers in the Dark

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I press my hand to my chest, my fingers tugging into the collar of my shirt. I can’t catch my breath.

Alina’s fingers tighten around mine, bringing me back to the here and now. I get lost in her eyes as she mouths,It’s okay. I’m here.

And then I feel it.

The first deep breath that fills my lungs.

The way my heart beats steady beneath my chest.

The warmth that invades my soul, relentless and smooth.

A knowing smile flickers across Elisia’s face as she lets our hands fall. “Soul mates.”

Soul mates.

Alina’s eyes glimmer against the candles in the center of the table, our gaze locked as the world around us disappears. And that’s when I realize what this feeling is washing over me.

It’s love…

I’m in love with my wife.

Chapter twenty-seven

Alina

Soul mates.

The term echoes in my mind as I stare into Mauro’s eyes, drumming with nerves, and something deeper… Something I’ve been trying and failing to suppress.

The realization strikes me like a bolt of lightning in the dark I can’t ignore.

I’m in love with my husband.

And yes, I’ve quietly loved this man my whole life from afar.

Never allowing myself the privilege of getting swept away in a fantasy where we could be together.

But this is different.

Because there’s a contrast between loving someone and being in love with someone.

I can feel it in my heart.

In my bones.

In my damn soul.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the part of tonight’s evening that you’ve all been waiting for,” the MC’s voice drifts over me, pulling me back. I blink, lowering my gaze, struggling to steady my racing thoughts.

I can’t be in love with him. Not when there’s an end date quickly approaching.

The lights dim across the room, bathing the space in a soft glow as the auction begins.

“I saw a rare Birkin bag I absolutely need!” Madeleine announces, her excitement bubbling over.

Item after item comes and goes; nothing of interest to me is shown. Not like I could afford it anyway.

“And for our next item being auctioned, we have a rare first edition ofOne Night Between Usby Emily Whist…”

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