They handed Valentina everything: a U.S. passport, a birth certificate with her name printed cleanly in serif font: Valentina Smith, a Social Security card, and an official Certificate of Citizenship processed through emergency protocols. Even a tiny plastic ID with her picture on it, though the woman in the photograph looked like a ghost who hadn’t yet learned how to smile.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufwSkFik0l
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It's supposed to mean something; it's her identity, returned to her after twenty years lost in blood and gunpowder. But as Captain Roger Brown placed the folder into her hands, she stared at it with a blank expression, like it was someone else’s life printed on that paper. Not even the weight of the folder brought her back to herself.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwxk1BYJO5
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“They’re still alive,” he told her gently, watching her closely. “Your parents. Your siblings. They still live in Texas. Same house. We ran the records twice.” She didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch. The room was cold with silence.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9Q8b8PjLE
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“You want to meet them?” Roger asked cautiously. “We can arrange that.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafG4XROCzt
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Valentina looked down at the certificate of birth. Her finger traced the line marked “Father’s Name,” then “Mother’s Name.” She tilted her head, reading the names of the people who sold her.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yvg2QWcWT
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“I just want to see them,” she said. Her voice was soft but firm. “I don’t need to talk. I just want to remember the faces that threw me away.” There was no rage in her tone. No forgiveness either. Just stillness. A kind of dead calm only someone forged in war could hold for so long.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaACjOG4Grv
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Within six months, she's with the army. The army gave her a new life—one filled with things she had never known she’d missed. They trained her for peace, not war. She learned how to use a smartphone. Learned to scroll, swipe, and tap. She was taught how to Google things, how to watch YouTube videos, how to order food online, and how to use social media.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOD0V5vnm7s
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Twitter confused her. Instagram seemed like a weapon of mass distraction. TikTok made her raise an eyebrow and say, “Why are they all dancing?”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5h8vh8Wnn
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They taught her how to blend in, how to wear jeans, and how to speak without sounding like a commander. She learned the slang. Watched videos about pop culture. Memorized idol group names. “I like her,” she said once, pointing to a female K-pop singer in a music video. “She reminds me of someone in my dream.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYx39IOmF7
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They taught her how to behave in public—how not to threaten people who bumped into her on the sidewalk. How not to reach for a knife when someone raises their voice. How to smile when someone complimented her hair. But violence, that part was hard.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZIl7J1xTh
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“I can’t hit them back?” she asked, genuinely confused, after a simulation of a hostile encounter in a civilian setting.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEa9tnH8hIw
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Captain Roger Brown exhaled, already tired. “Valentina, those people are civilians. If you use your strength against them, you’ll hurt them. Maybe worse.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSY9fqlP1lE
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Valentina frowned. “So… if they’re not civilians, I can shoot?”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2QAv5tuhu
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“No!” Roger raised a hand. “No shooting. No stabbing. No killing unless they are an immediate threat to you or others. Only self-defense. Understand?”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLysV2sQni
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She paused for a long moment. Then nodded slowly. “I… think yes.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkmDo5WhpL
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“And definitely no killing. That’s murder. They’ll put you in jail.” One of the younger soldiers beside them added.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMz3iIWVthR
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“Do they give people food in jail?” One of the younger soldiers beside them added,86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIf6D0Kubv
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Roger’s brow furrowed. “What? Uh—yeah. They do. Why?”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjjj1pc4MA
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“At least they feed you,” she said flatly. “Back there, in the war zone, I had to find my own food. Rats. Dogs. Pigs. Or take rations from dead soldiers. If I got caught, they beat me. If I starved, I failed the mission. Jail sounds… better.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1d29ZSomg
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Her words hit them like a punch to the gut. Roger had seen hardened killers, war survivors, and broken souls with a thousand-yard stare. But Valentina, the young woman isn't broken. She's built from brokenness. A body of shattered glass held together by purpose alone. He turned away, just for a second, to hide the pity in his eyes.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyrbubhNrN
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Roger knew she needed a purpose—something to keep her tethered to this strange new civilian world. He offered her three paths, each carefully selected: security guard, sports teacher, or chef. But for Valentina, the choice was immediate.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJINxMpFrf
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“I’ll take the guard,” she said. “It’s easier. I know how to fight.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLFKUQ0sYt
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He took her to the Romano Corporation’s private training facility in lower Manhattan—a slick, high-security complex where the elite of the elite were vetted. She didn’t know who the Romanos were exactly, only that they were powerful enough to move armies with a phone call and could control city policies without ever stepping into the public eye.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOWS8zPvwE
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The moment Hendrix Peterson, Roger’s old comrade and now the head of security, saw her, he grinned like a wolf. “This the girl?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGtpny0CzR
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Roger nodded. “She’ll surprise you.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAyhjSfe2p
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They threw her into a quick combat test against three of Hendrix’s best men. Trained. Conditioned. Arrogant. And she floored all three within two minutes.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoG2IyQ5DH
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The first took a kick to the solar plexus that sent him into the wall. The second tried to grapple her from behind and ended up on the floor with a dislocated shoulder. The third didn’t even see her coming—just felt the sharp twist of his wrist and the flat crack of her palm against his temple.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzjwhqciZI
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No blood. No wasted motion. Just precision. Cold, calculated, merciless. The gym fell silent. Hendrix let out a loud, appreciative whistle. “Jesus Christ, Rog. Where the hell did you find her?”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwwb6yXpK0
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“In the middle of nowhere,” Roger replied, crossing his arms, proud and a little amused. “She’s got more training hours than all your boys combined. And she’s still learning how not to kill people.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWsq3jermZ
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Hendrix laughed and slapped Roger on the back. “She’s perfect. Pretty and deadly—my favorite combination. I’ll send her straight to headquarters. The boss’s daughter’s been begging for a new bodyguard. She’s more than enough.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPqr88xhiv
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Later that day, Roger handed Valentina a plain envelope. Inside: a newly activated bank card, an insurance card, a tax ID, her freshly printed company badge, and five crisp $100 bills.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfproD32mGz
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“Food money. It’s not much, but it’ll last you until your first paycheck,” he said, offering a warm smile. “Romano Corp. will handle your housing. Private room in one of their buildings downtown. You’ll have everything you need.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFOdMMMXTk
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Valentina took the envelope carefully, as if it might vanish if she blinked. Then he handed her a folded piece of paper. “This is your family’s address. In case you ever want to see them.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGeYts5Yky
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She didn’t say anything right away. She just stared at the address. Her fingers creased the edge of the paper slowly, mechanically. “Thanks.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgATSYbkAnE
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He ruffled her hair affectionately. Her newly grown-out brown waves were silky soft—thanks to Dr. Rebecca’s six-month regimen of scalp treatments, skin care, and full-body recovery protocols.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYwysK5HCB
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The Valentina that stood before him now barely resembled the wild-eyed soldier he’d met in the desert. Her skin, once burned dark by sun and sand, had returned to its original tone: warm, light, glowing faintly under the afternoon sun that poured in from the window.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMTsNH7FY6
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“You clean up real nice, kiddo.” Roger said, and she gave him something rare—a smile. Small, but real.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDGkiFyAx4
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Roger chuckled. “Visit sometimes, alright? You’ve got people now.” Valentina nodded.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDOZBJduPm
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Valentina stepped out of the military transport vehicle with the weightless grace of a predator released into unfamiliar territory. Dressed in a sleek, jet-black ensemble—a tight, short-sleeved shirt hugging her toned torso, paired with fitted black jeans that emphasized her long, powerful legs—she cut a figure both arresting and untouchable.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86BsWgjB5m
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Her matte-black combat boots thudded against the pavement, worn smooth from half a lifetime of battle. The duffel bag slung over her shoulder was the last remnant of the world she'd just left behind.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdKjBKtSu0
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Six months in the military base had transformed her into something impossible to ignore. She's no longer just the war-forged specter that Roger had found in the desert. Now, she looked like a woman carved from the silence between gunshots—mysterious, poised, lethal.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsnwUHqnmQ
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Inside the Romano Corporation’s Chicago branch, a towering structure of steel and mirrored glass that glinted like a blade, Valentina stepped into the reception lobby. The marble floor echoed beneath her boots. Heads turned immediately.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZivKcAAHb
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The receptionist glanced up from his desk. Young, tall, freckles scattered like dust over porcelain skin, and a red mop of curly hair, he had the kind of face that warmed rooms. He blinked when he saw her, his mouth subtly parting.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tgrvfDbl6
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“Uh, hello—welcome to Romano Security Division. How can I help you?” He asked, professional but clearly thrown off, eyes scanning her from head to toe, then flicking back with slight guilt to meet her eyes.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2s7l77hKE
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“I’m here to report for duty. I need to speak with Hendrix Peterson.” Valentina informed him.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEYFETtu6h
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“Hendrix?” he repeated, blinking. “You mean the head of security?” She didn’t reply, only raised a brow, her cold green eyes unflinching.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3QWnU9xl0
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“Wait—are you the new recruit from headquarters?” he asked, still staring at her with disbelief. “You're... Valentina?”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaQjYzCC5t
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“Yes,” she replied flatly. “Valentina Smith. Please contact Hendrix.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJb0qmb34UX
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The young man scrambled to comply, fumbling his radio while trying not to gawk. Moments later, two security personnel arrived to escort her—both seasoned men with holsters and the kind of confidence that came from years in the field.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5BiZ8pWxL
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“She’s the new one?” One whispered, half to himself.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73KNAoL4xs
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Valentina caught it. She didn’t flinch, but the corner of her mouth twitched in subtle irritation. She became the eye of the storm as they moved through the building—people whispering, watching, some openly skeptical, others simply stunned.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzWl82h2sT
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Most expected someone with muscles like steel cables and a shaved head, not a lithe, breathtaking woman with smooth skin, silken brown hair, and an air that could freeze a battlefield. When the elevator doors opened on the top floor, Hendrix Peterson was already waiting.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwffuGxRJo
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A mountain of a man with a rugged, thunderous presence—Hendrix had the look of someone who could level a riot with one hand and cook a steak with the other. His face split into a grin the moment he saw her.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeeGu7ZISd
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“Valentina! You look even more dangerous than Rog said.” He gave her a once-over, not with lust but admiration—the kind only a warrior gave another. “Come in. We’ve got work to do.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScdtY6HLcl
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“Yes, sir,” she said crisply.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡel3OZp6E05
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“Come on, relax a little. You’re not on the front lines anymore.” He handed her a clipboard with paperwork. “Flight’s at eight. You’ll be sent straight to New York HQ. However, we must first complete the uniform fitting, HR, shoes, and clearance update. Standard onboarding.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDbHetMGgX
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She nodded, already scanning the paperwork with swift, precise eyes. Then she paused, glancing at the men who had escorted her in—both of whom were still trying to make sense of what they’d just walked through.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsbp96YD2H
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“They don’t believe I have the skills,” she said, voice even. “Permission to fight them?”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDpcPre5oh
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Hendrix laughed so loud the windowpanes quivered. “Oh, hell yes. Give 'em a show.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVF5TY3wMLb
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