Chapter 372: The One Who Stayed
Carla slumped weakly on the floor, tears streaming down her face as she trembled with frustration and despair. She couldn’t believe how everything in her life seemed to crumble simultaneously. Even Henry, someone she had once controlled so effortlessly before, dared to reject her.
Hurried footsteps broke through her sobs, and she looked up to see Renzo entering the room. His expression shifted from confusion to alarm as he saw her disheveled state and the dress crumpled on the floor.
"Carla! What happened?" Renzo exclaimed, quickly shrugging off his coat and draping it over her shoulders. He crouched down in front of her, his voice tense but concerned. "Why are you like this? What’s going on?"
Carla met his gaze, her eyes swimming with tears. "Renzo... everyone’s turning me down," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Her lips quivered as she clutched the coat around herself.
Renzo frowned, his confusion deepening. "What do you mean? Who turned you down?"
She let out a hollow, bitter laugh, shaking her head. "Everyone," she said weakly. "First Alexander, then Henry... I’m Carla Cartier! I’m supposed to have everything, to get whatever I want. Why is it all slipping through my fingers?"
His hands rested lightly on her arms, his expression a mixture of concern and something deeper, something Carla recognized. "Carla," Renzo murmured softly, his voice almost breaking, "you don’t have to be like this. You’re worth so much more than throwing yourself away."
Carla’s tear-filled eyes met his, and she saw the emotion swirling within him. Renzo, who had always been by her side, who had always done her bidding without question, looked at her now like she was both fragile and untouchable.
Before she could process it, Renzo leaned in, brushing his lips against hers in a fleeting, tentative kiss. It was tender, hesitant, and over almost as quickly as it started. His eyes widened in shock, and he pulled back abruptly.