Valentina: fiddling with necklace Ugh, this thing is so extraaa. Like, can’t a girl find real love?
So you still upset about your cousin not telling you about her wedding plans?
Upset? Girl, I’m beyond upset! We’re supposed to be BFFs, sharing everything. But now she’s just married off without a word! throws the jewelry box across the room
well, she did invite you to her wedding, didn’t she?
rolls her eyes dramatically Invite me? Yeah, right. She probably just wanted to show off her perfect little life and make me feel even more single.
Well, you two are different. She wanted a man to marry, but you…you wanted a child. It’s two different things.
grabs her phone and starts swiping through dating apps Different? Please, Emma, we're both looking for love, just in different ways.
yeah, but she wanted a child as a accessory to her beautiful marriage. She wanted a boy to carry on her family’s name and legacy. That’s different from wanting a child because you want all the perks of being married, but without the marriage
throws her phone across the room Perks? This isn't about perks, Emma! It's about wanting the security and commitment that comes with having a family.
Sure, but there are plenty of other fish in the sea. You’ll find your prince charming one day, Val
sighs heavily, crosses her arms Prince charming? In this day and age? Please, Emma, I've seen enough fairy tales to know that reality is far from magical.
oh, i know. but that doesn’t mean we stop hoping and giving into hope
leans back, smirking Hope? More like settling for less. Look, Emma, I'm not gonna waste my time waiting for some knight in shining armor.
if you’re not settling for less, then what are you settling for?
smirks, leans forward I'm not settling for less, Emma. I'm settling for more. More control, more security, more power in my life.
you’re just looking for someone to provide you with those things, right?
nods, smirking You got it, Emma. I'm not gonna let anyone else dictate my life. I want someone who can give me what I want, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get it.
smiles sounds to me like you just want to be the queen of a castle
raises an eyebrow, smirking Queen of a castle? Nah, babe, I want more than just a castle. I want an entire empire.
laughs An empire, huh? You're really going big, Val. But aren't you worried about getting bored?
rolls her eyes Bored? Girl, please. With an empire on the line, there's no room for boredom. There's only room for victory, power, and making sure everyone knows who's boss.
yeah, but what if you met someone who wanted to help you build your empire, but he also wanted to put his own spin on things. how would you handle that?
smirks, leans closer Oh, Emma, you know I love a good power struggle. If someone thinks they can challenge me, they've got another thing coming.
chuckles Power struggle, huh? Sounds like fun. Just remember, Val, no one messes with the queen without consequences
stands up, raises her hand Oh, honey, you have no idea. I'll show them what it means to mess with the queen. They'll learn their place real quick.
just promise me, you won’t get carried away. we don’t want any emperors wearing less clothes than we are
smirks, winks No promises, honey. But trust me, when I'm running this empire, everyone will know who the real queen is. And they'll respect me for it.
laughs That's my girl! Just remember, sometimes power is better when it's shared. Don't forget that.
smirks, picks up her phone Shared power? Honey, I appreciate your concern, but when it comes to ruling an empire, you gotta be tough. No room for softies here.
fair enough. just don’t forget, sharing power is more about support and compromise than it is about giving in
waves her hand dismissively Support and compromise? Please, Emma, those are just fancy words for weakness. In the game of power, you either come out on top or get trampled beneath feet.
Great! Now you sound like a villain in a romance novel. Your empire is built on romance, not fire.
rolls her eyes, smirks Romance? Please, Emma, romance is for suckers. This empire is built on something much stronger: seduction. Seduction in every form.
Alright, seductress it is. Just don’t seduce the wrong person, Val. We don’t want another unwanted wedding
winks, leans closer Oh, trust me, Emma. I've got my eyes on the perfect target. Someone who knows how to play the game, but wants to be played.