The training ground was thick with tension, the sharp scent of metal and sweat hanging in the air as Hendrix barked the order: “Stand by. Be ready.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdL7m6d3RMg
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The assembled unit, an elite squad of men handpicked for their power and discipline, tightened their grips on sparring weapons, stretched out shoulders, and cracked knuckles.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwahy8Nh1c
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A few exchanged glances; they lost to her a few weeks ago at their first meeting, smirking as if this would be a redemption match. They remembered her. They wanted another go.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbgk63JAhY
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But they didn’t know that last time, Valentina was at a disadvantage. That she’d been fighting through an internal war. Her body had betrayed her with cramps so deep they laced into her spine, her lower abdomen pulsing with phantom agony.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiLlBOp4d1
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She didn’t have a uterus as an intersex person; the doctors had confirmed that long ago: complete androgen insensitivity syndrome, with mixed internal structures. No menstruation, no bleeding. But that didn’t mean she didn’t suffer the cycle.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqmvbBBmgJ
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Dr Rebecca had explained it clinically—hormonal fluctuations, a sort of rhythm written in her partial ovarian tissue. High oestrogen surges and progesterone drops could send her system into a swirl of phantom PMS, muscle fatigue, pelvic tightness, and even a strange internal ache that radiated like claws pressing from the inside.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAvjGPheVh
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But not today. Today, she's fine, great even. Balanced. Unburdened by pain. Today, she's at her peak.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWZT3JS7gz
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She walked to Hendrix’s office and dropped her duffel bag with the casualness of someone unbothered by what came next. No one noticed how her jaw set like steel or the precise way her shoulders relaxed. No one realised the predator had just entered the arena.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRO19HIl8p7
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Then she walks to the ring, no helmet, no glove, not using any safety on her body. Hendrix knows from how silent her step is and how lightly she walks that Valentina isn't just an an ordinary female fighter.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcW8BRn3evk
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And everything changed; she jumped quickly into the ring. Her movements were silent, like water moving over stone. When she took her position on the mat, her eyes darkened—not with anger, but something colder. Focus. Precision. Lethality.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhllhvqd2zQ
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The men circled. Three volunteers. One after the other. Some of them had gone toe-to-toe with her before—and lost, yes, but they believed it was because she was lucky and they were too tired to fight her.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdgWbJVqCS
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This time, they planned to make her bleed. They smirked, but she didn’t even flinch. She stood upright—no stance, no shift, no sign of weakness. Her body was eerily still, like a coiled wire. Every muscle perfectly aligned.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRc061Lq1Ls
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Hendrix leaned forward from the edge of the platform, eyes narrowing. He could feel it too. The heat coming off her. The restraint. She was suppressing something. Something wild. And it thrilled him.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByx4Dsm90k
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“Are you not going to start?” Valentina asked, her voice quiet—casual, like she was asking if he was done tying his boots. “If not… I will.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gqRTQ5Hgx
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The first man rushed her with a roar, feeling humiliated, trying to capitalise on momentum. He charged in low, hoping to catch her mid-torso and flip her over with a body tackle.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGxGrSskpD
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In a blur of movement, she slipped to the side, her boot grazing the mat without sound. One palm flew up, cracking across his neck like lightning. A sharp gasp. His knees buckled. He fell in a heap—unconscious before he hit the floor.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPW6TE6nfG
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A ripple went through the group. Jaws clenched. Someone cursed under their breath. Hendrix grinned. “She’s not even warmed up.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDPEmWuWgX
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The second man came in smarter—faster hands, guarded stance, low centre. He jabbed three times to draw her guard up, then swung low with a leg sweep. Valentina leaned back—too far, too smoothly. Her body bent like wind-blown grass. She caught his leg mid-swing, twisted her torso, and threw him sideways into the padded wall with a dull, thudding slam.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8tHLKm3oj
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He groaned and didn’t get up.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjSJFu5hTd
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The third man hesitated, but the pride was too strong. He surged forward, fists blazing, trying to confuse her with erratic footwork and feints. For a moment, it looked like he had her cornered. Then Valentina moved, a blur of motion.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzgxHx8uR5
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One strike to the ribs—pop. A heel to the thigh—collapse. Elbow to the chest—wind gone. And then a palm to the face, not enough to break the nose, but enough to send him staggering backward like a ragdoll. She caught him before he hit the ground and laid him down gently.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulEzhKff48
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Mercy, because she could have crushed him. By now, the rest of the men had backed up, no longer laughing, no longer eager. She stood in the centre of the training ring, eyes steady, lips parted just slightly as she caught her breath. Not panting. Not strained. Just alive.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqINbbOvqT5
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Her skin glistened slightly under the lights; she hadn't even broken a sweat yet. Her heartbeat was calm, but her gaze—it was ice and fire all at once. Dangerous. Beautiful. Untouchable.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwUoG9TVWC
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Hendrix rose from his chair slowly, the tension rolling off him like smoke in thick coils. There was a flicker of something dangerous in his eyes—not anger, not pride, but hunger.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSsB8iInoy
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The kind of hunger only a warrior gets when they find someone worth bleeding for.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMHPQ1mYe4
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For the first time in years, he felt it again—that itch in his knuckles, the vibration in his bones. Because he's facing someone who doesn't think of winning. Something deeper: the need to survive, and that's much more dangerous than a feeling to win.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoA8yEmemZ3
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He stepped toward the ring, fingers already unfastening the buttons of his shirt. He shrugged off his jacket and peeled the fabric back, revealing a wall of muscle hardened by decades of training. His scars spoke louder than his resume: burns, slashes, punctures, and faded bruises like ghosts of battles past.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaugAHTJvX
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“You guys aren't going to win against her,” he said to the stunned team as he climbed into the ring. His voice was low and heavy, like steel scraping across stone.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQyMmXC3C3
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He didn’t look at them. He only looked at her, Valentina.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJiFRVLBMs
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"Be serious with me, Valentina," he said as he rolled his shoulders back, settling into his stance.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9YOaUmBtD
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Across from him, Valentina stood motionless—an unwavering shadow in the centre of the mat. Her eyes didn’t flinch. Her jaw didn’t twitch. She simply looked at him and replied, “Why? You’re a civilian.” That earned a few sharp breaths from the watching men—some even looked insulted. But Hendrix? He laughed.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6FGs9PYB4
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“I’m not a civilian,” he said as he crouched lower into his stance. “I’m Hendrix Peterson. First Sergeant, U.S. Army, six tours, three continents. And now? I’m head of security for the most powerful corporation on this side of the planet—The Romanos. I’ve killed more people than you’ve probably met.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvVhlM9iVg
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He cracked his knuckles. “I’m no civilian.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsW3zgZpbDc
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Valentina tilted her head, expression unreadable. “So I can go?” she asked again, voice flat, clinical.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZDjb2ShBI
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He smirked. “Full force. Give me your best—or I’ll end your career today.” No one in the ring dared speak. This isn’t training anymore. This maybe will be a clash of titans.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1HRUZ7bHy
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"Okay," Valentina said simply.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5YKiqjgSS
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She’d fought people bigger than Hendrix. Stronger. Crazier. In alleyways, jungles, and collapsed cities. With knives, with her bare fists, with blood in her mouth and fear in her chest. She had never lost. Not when the only other option was death.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5jbDO44Zl
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Hendrix lunged first.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYimf1sQKI
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He's fast—faster than a man his size should be. A clean jab aimed at her ribs. She spun aside, weightless, the blow slicing air. He followed with a low roundhouse kick—this time, fast enough to almost catch her hip.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfxyKq7Fop
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She bent backward, spine like liquid steel, and sprang forward in the same motion—her fist cracking across his chin. A clean shot. He staggered. Just a second. Then he smiled, his teeth bloody.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauEY8urKoc
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“Finally,” he growled.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGPHGaUYdm
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The next minute was an explosion. Their limbs blurred. Fists. Elbows. Knees. Feet. Valentina danced just outside his reach, then cut in like a viper, snapping bone against bone. He grunted and returned with force, each hit calculated, powerful, and brutal.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QM8GFZ5rG
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They moved like gods in a storm; the floor shook under their footwork. Breath came hard and fast. Blood started to spray—hers from her lip, his from his eyebrow. It didn’t matter.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKO7bHmkzJ
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Neither of them stopped.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTeEPcCqRL
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Forty minutes in, Valentina’s breath began to show. A fine line of sweat traced down her spine, glistening under the harsh lights. Hendrix is bleeding, panting now—but grinning like a madman.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwYS2GpZwP
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He loved her already; no one else had kept up with him in years. Not even close. She's young—yes. But sharp. Refined. Deadly. She wasn’t just strong—she was trained for war, and more than that, she had the instinct, the survival instinct.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqH1OFN4ptC
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The same kind he’d lost somewhere around the fifth tour; the final blow never came. After an hour, Hendrix stepped back, raised his hand, and exhaled. “That’s it,” he said, voice hoarse. “We’re done.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8JYHf5vnr
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Valentina blinked. “Why? I can still fight.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjiMK6DEXy
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He shook his head, still smiling, even as his legs trembled under the pressure,, but he masked it. “I know. But you need to report to HR. Get your uniform. Catch your flight, kid.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCy1B1k3e8
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Valentina paused. Then relaxed her stance. “Oh… right,” she said, almost sheepishly. “I forgot. Sorry.” She hopped out of the ring in one fluid motion, collected her bag, and disappeared down the hallway like the fight hadn’t even happened.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWqpz8oPZu
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Hendrix stood in the ring a moment longer, staring down at his hands. His fingers were numb. His breath was is uneven. His legs felt like stone. He looked at the blood on his knuckles and the bruises forming on his ribs.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEk6fxhEOm
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Hendrix sat at the edge of the ring, one knee up, his shirt still clutched in his hand, the sweat drying slowly on his scarred chest. He glanced down at the faint bruise forming across his ribs—the same spot, hit over and over with surgical precision.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFB0BW7ff8o
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His fingers still tingled from the shock of her blocks. His joints ached. His lungs burnt. But he was smiling.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJ0atEIg8a
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“God damn,” he whispered to himself with a lopsided grin, voice gritty and full of something close to reverence. “She’s the real thing.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuivPUstqy
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He turned his head slightly as Bastian, his ever-watchful assistant, stepped in from the shadows. Hendrix didn’t look at him at first—he kept his eyes fixed on the hallway where Valentina had vanished like a phantom—but he spoke low and sure:51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZdCa76YuG
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“That girl’s a gem, Bastian. She’s built for long, brutal fights. Her technique is refined and brutal. Efficient. She doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t hesitate. Her punch?” Hendrix smirked. “It’s deadly. Her kicks? Heavy. Unrelenting. She was trained to kill, not just win.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8tYhhEIJl
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“She played you,” Bastian murmured, as if still stunned.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJioKj7x0y
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“She outwitted me,” Hendrix admitted, chuckling under his breath. “She kept targeting the same spot, again and again. My side is numb. That’s not luck. That’s persistence. Strategy. Awareness.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNN4Le0luUT
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Another one of the younger recruits jogged up, eyes wide with concern. “Sir—are you all right?”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0UbSGYjib
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“My hands are numb,” Hendrix admitted without shame. “She figured it out in minutes. And she doesn’t stop. She's perfect!” He exhaled and reached for his shirt, handed to him by Bastian.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS043M9P32e
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"You mean," Bastian said carefully, as if double-checking what was already obvious, “she’s perfect to serve as Miss Luiza Romano’s private bodyguard?”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiIXqm6adl
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Hendrix gave him a long, slow nod. “She’s it. We found the one.” He pulled his shirt back on, wincing slightly at the bruises under the fabric. “Keep her. Watch her. Make sure nobody screws this up.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tkq2FPCCE
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“Aye, sir.” Bastian’s response was immediate and reverent.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdz3a75UQw
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Behind them, the murmurs had already started. The men in the training compound—veterans, specialists, bruisers, and tacticians—were speaking in low, electrified voices.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqh4FNol3fK
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“Did you see her move?”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7E9YzWrje
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“She didn’t even breathe hard.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0f4WqFMOF7
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“She smiled while dodging Hendrix’s hook—smiled.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWy5brWtD6
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“She made it look like a dance. And Hendrix is a tank.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJL1sK8Mwr
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“The guy trained with Delta Force. And she made him sweat.” Word was spreading like wildfire.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJv9HnPXFlv
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She's no ordinary recruit; Valentina had become a a legend in an hour. The only one who had ever stood against Hendrix Peterson and held her ground—not just survived, but moved with grace, intelligence, and terrifying precision. And all without even tapping into her full strength.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMHNnssQHo
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As Hendrix finally stood up and stretched his sore muscles, he muttered just loud enough for Bastian to hear, “She was holding back.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVKOc1Mxpr
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Bastian glanced over. “You’re sure?”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCOjepOIs0
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“I’m certain.” Hendrix’s eyes gleamed with a strange excitement. “And I can’t wait to see what she’s like when she stops holding back.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBMQiu6pmy
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The HR office was brightly lit, clinical, and packed with the dull sounds of printers, keystrokes, and the occasional impatient sigh. But Valentina’s presence made everything quiet. She stood, still slightly flushed from the fight, her posture perfect as ever, while Veronica Sinclair, head of HR, handed her a neatly packed bundle wrapped in crisp plastic.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdZQtuujeE
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“Three sets of standard uniforms,” Veronica said, tapping the corner of each pile as she listed them. “Two for training. Standard issue: black slacks, white shirt, black blazer, tie, and boots. Practical and sharp—just like you, I suppose.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfexeCHH5B
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“Yes, ma’am.” Valentina nodded.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8QaUOyv1M
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Veronica raised an eyebrow. “Call me Veronica, not ma’am.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwkiKQD8Pa
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“Yes, Veronica,” Valentina corrected softly, her voice still flat, polite, and and military-grade. She finished signing the final form, her handwriting steady and deliberate, and slid her banking details across the desk.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHEGufkZc5
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“Here’s your flight to New York. Tonight, ”Veronica added, holding out the digital ticket. “And Hendrix will accompany you to HQ. That’s all.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rSf4W5BAk
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Valentina reached for the papers. “Thank you, Veronica.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjj4iTPx7JZ
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But as she turned to leave, Veronica leaned back in her chair, eyes trailing up and down Valentina’s form, almost appraising. A slow grin spread across her lips. “Are you working out?”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYziYy0E3dF
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Valentina blinked, her head tilting slightly, confused by the change in tone. “Yes.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcxs8I73jX
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“Anything else I can get for you, Valentina?” Veronica’s voice dropped—husky and teasing.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1YQTxpjx8
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Valentina paused, sensing something was off. “No, thank you. Unless you need something from me, Veronica?”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBv8s6uGMCw
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Veronica’s grin widened. “Your number.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaUiOIg9EK
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“It’s… on my application.” Valentina hesitated.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOm8116X84
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The deadpan sincerity in her voice, the innocent confusion etched across her features—it was too much. Hendrix, leaning against the doorframe, burst into laughter. The room around them rippled with quiet amusement. Everyone in the Chicago branch of Romano Security knew Veronica Sinclair—openly queer, unapologetically bold, and never one to let beauty walk past without saying something.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHpN51kds0
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But Valentina? She stood there like a statue—confused, unflinching, and unreadable.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMgxvWVI7O
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Veronica stood slowly from behind her desk, approaching with deliberate grace. “Oh, wow,” she said softly, almost admiringly. “A woman who didn’t blush with me. I like you already.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mZfUZXS43
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Then, without further warning, she leaned in and kissed Valentina right on the lips. It was a full kiss—lingering just long enough to make a statement, soft enough to leave no doubt: she meant it.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NpBlBwduI
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Valentina froze.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgWmyW3qFx
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Her eyes widened. Her breath caught. And when Veronica pulled away, she just stood there, shocked. She touched her lips as if trying to confirm what had just happened. Her gaze darted to Hendrix, completely serious.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJ6G4cBNmV
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“...What should I do after this?” She asked him, utterly sincere.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwv0aHdsNXD
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Hendrix was howling now, holding onto the doorframe to keep himself from falling. “Oh my god—Roger really didn’t teach you anything, huh?”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPQnA6WPMu
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Veronica chuckled as she returned to her chair, visibly pleased with herself. “That was your first kiss?” she asked, lifting a brow.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeLePKvJ2F
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Valentina nodded slowly. “Yes.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakch1G1iOa
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“You tasted so good,” Veronica murmured, her voice dripping with warmth and curiosity.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7FRiM5DkG
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“I did?” Valentina repeated, confused but thoughtful.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajkX00Adx2
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Veronica leaned forward again, practically purring. “Can I kiss her again, Hendrix? Please? I need to kiss her. For real this time. She’s getting on my nerves with that innocent look.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpovzwAWBmr
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Hendrix shrugged, trying not to laugh again. “Be my guest. I’d like to see what happens.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBbw04N6od
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Veronica walked right back over, placed her hands firmly on Valentina’s hips, and guided her down to sit gently in her lap.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyyogncnsT
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Her voice softened to a murmur, low and intimate. “Don’t think so hard, soldier girl,” Veronica whispered, gently cupping Valentina’s jaw. “Just follow what feels right.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSaRWrIxEj
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She leaned in again, lips brushing softly, a feather-light tease—then pressing with firmer, hungrier intent. This time, her kiss was deeper, more assured, warm and coaxing, a silent promise of pure, unadulterated pleasure.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzKnsZx0Rt
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Veronica, a goddess of patience, guided her with a steady rhythm and deliberate slowness, her tongue stroking, tasting, and exploring. She tilted Valentina’s face slightly, her fingers tangling in the soft hair at her nape, encouraging her without force, just pure, sensual persuasion.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAo6ZoRWih
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Valentina sat there, still as stone for a moment, her mind reeling, then something inside her clicked, a primal switch flipping. Her body responded on instinct, a deep, guttural moan rumbling in her chest as her lips parted wider, her breath syncing with Veronica’s, becoming ragged, desperate.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQvgvONoGE
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She didn’t know what she was doing—every move was new, thrilling, terrifying—but her instincts carried her, guiding her hands to Veronica’s waist. Her fingers curled reflexively, digging into the soft flesh, drawing Veronica impossibly closer until there was no space left between them, only the burning friction of their bodies. She was a quick learner, soaking up every touch, every taste, and every sensation like a thirsty sponge.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7c1ABGFFz
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Their second kiss lingered, a deep, soul-consuming plunge into uncharted territory. Veronica’s tongue delved deeper, exploring every secret curve of Valentina’s mouth, tasting her innocence, her burgeoning desire.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbFf6RA3ak
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Valentina responded with a desperate fervour, her own tongue meeting Veronica’s, tangling, dancing, a fiery duet. Veronica’s hands slid lower, tracing the curve of Valentina’s ass, pulling her into her lap, a soft, wet friction that sent shivers of pure, unadulterated lust through Valentina’s core. Valentina gasped into the kiss, her hips instinctively rocking against Veronica’s, a silent plea for more.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMcuhWcJwq
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When they finally pulled apart, a soft, wet sound echoing in the sudden quiet, Veronica’s face was flushed, her breath uneven, her eyes dark with a hunger that mirrored Valentina’s own.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgWzXRFnxp
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A heavy, sensual silence hung in the air, thick with unspoken promises and raw, simmering desire—until Hendrix cleared his throat sharply, a harsh, unwelcome sound that snapped them both back to reality, a cruel interruption to their blossoming depravity.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj34IRBRY5E
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Veronica exhaled, visibly dazed. “You’re going to ruin people in New York, you know that?” she whispered.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRUSmU0buF
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Valentina looked at Hendrix again. “Am I done?” she asked seriously.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrAl1onl7L
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He chuckled. “For now. Come on, rookie. Let’s go meet your real boss.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ336P178s1O
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Veronica stepped back with a flushed laugh, brushing her skirt smooth and fixing her lipstick. “If I visit New York, open your damn door, Valentina,” she said breathlessly.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sD5wS7Rbt
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Valentina blinked, still reeling. “Yes, ma’am.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbw0sewMNV
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“Don’t ma’am me after that. Just—damn. Where the hell did you find her?” Veronica narrowed her eyes.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8arOidIbsT
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“In the middle of nowhere. She walked into our hands like fate handed her over.” Hendrix is laughing out loud.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85jEdd1OxP
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“Fate?” Veronica muttered. “More like a damn divine prank.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGzvYUbCq4
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Valentina remained quiet, but inside her chest, a storm was brewing—emotions she didn’t yet know how to name, let alone tame. She excused herself with a stiff nod. “May I go to the bathroom?”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBR9J8NylVl
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“Sure,” Veronica replied with a smirk. “Though I’d say I left you speechless.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMZuy5VA3E
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She didn’t reply. Valentina walked fast, turned the corner, and locked herself in the stall; she breathed hard. Her body had reacted with force. Her mind felt fogged, overwhelmed. Not from embarrassment—but from confusion and desire she hadn’t expected. She remembered what Dr. Rebecca had told her about staying calm when her body reacted too strongly.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPR9WWJqjq
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Focus. Stay grounded. Breathe.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8VUaGStmX
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She forced her mind to retreat into cold memories—of hunger, of silence, of how being different meant being targeted. She knew better than to expect people to accept her truth. She buried the feeling.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtwohLNwLB
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Five minutes later, she emerged—tie in hand, hair tied in a neat ponytail, her new uniform crisp against her frame. Hendrix waited outside, holding her bag and company badge. “Put it on.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulOW5MOzOc
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“Yes, sir.” She takes the company badge.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2s8gpJnQP
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When she returned, her stance once again composed, she held out the tie awkwardly. “I… don’t know how to put this on. Can you teach me?”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3t8Lqs8WV
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Several people stood up at once, eager to help. But Veronica was quicker. She approached without a word, took the tie gently from her hands, and looped it around Valentina’s neck. Her fingers moved slowly, deliberately, tightening the knot with expert care.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOXz9p9tzw
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“There,” she said. “Easy.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPk26ETXB4
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Valentina met her gaze. “Thank you, Veronica.”51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZkfStTDTi
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Veronica hesitated. Then he gave her a final kiss—this one soft, barely a brush of lips. “I’ll collect payment later,” she said, stepping back. “Now go—before I do something stupid like follow you to New York.” Valentina turned and walked straight to Hendrix, never once glancing back.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5d8JiLfNes
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Veronica, lips still tingling, whispered to herself, "What a heartless woman. Three kisses, and she isn't even flustered." Veronica has met her rival.51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttOHtQr4N8
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