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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWOTyydY5g
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG98liVonE5
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghmYDjUe4x
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“You want to meet them?” Roger asked cautiously. “We can arrange that.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGCl2kbF9A
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHfwXIjUJI
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpSExnj9va
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrjQd506W8
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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?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpaDWff8GF
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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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpDlhfgJql
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zim8AOi2i
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWvfm6J0Rd
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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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqu6zQ0N8lD
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Valentina frowned. “So… if they’re not civilians, I can shoot?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDndAhZF3j4
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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?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbmd9zy2mE
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She paused for a long moment. Then nodded slowly. “I… think yes.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVgLhuE2FX
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXBhcp7aBC
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“Do they give people food in jail?” One of the younger soldiers beside them added,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtpVL30Ukp
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Roger’s brow furrowed. “What? Uh—yeah. They do. Why?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesICYuy6gD
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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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeTsfpoUvj
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfk5XCKzv8a
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlUQbZpCnn
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“I’ll take the guard,” she said. “It’s easier. I know how to fight.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7RSZJxx2q
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIS8c3qdX8u
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWs99YMpkgV
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Roger nodded. “She’ll surprise you.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfTrv8AJqv
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXg1DS7X3D
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbMeupm7MQ
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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?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGvmZOgP5e
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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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBufWYFF6Hz
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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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqlnBUBveZ
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5GaT28olX
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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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQMmeDbiTg
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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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwOLHC0rOq
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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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp24lQIuSJv
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXy6ayhE9sx
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICtqSM5iEl
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“You clean up real nice, kiddo.” Roger said, and she gave him something rare—a smile. Small, but real.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelgYiAULOY
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Roger chuckled. “Visit sometimes, alright? You’ve got people now.” Valentina nodded.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZn7cEnTHm
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NLwoQfNjF
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3V08uxNzYF
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7H0niueQKK
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ793KitNfV5
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUI6R992ru
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaIPI7xFHm
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“I’m here to report for duty. I need to speak with Hendrix Peterson.” Valentina informed him.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitmDWvCCKt
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowckBefOX8
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“Wait—are you the new recruit from headquarters?” he asked, still staring at her with disbelief. “You're... Valentina?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTRvEdFmvE
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“Yes,” she replied flatly. “Valentina Smith. Please contact Hendrix.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBrVBjkIxN
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoveroHuwP
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“She’s the new one?” One whispered, half to himself.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3bNiZ9ZoH
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsIBBG7YF1
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHVIEP30nR
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMdBsRVvrt
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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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIysWdrUZUH
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“Yes, sir,” she said crisply.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOqjId6uDK
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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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvxYxEt6Nf
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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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFFCh7FQaa
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“They don’t believe I have the skills,” she said, voice even. “Permission to fight them?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡej6FXvm9bx
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Hendrix laughed so loud the windowpanes quivered. “Oh, hell yes. Give 'em a show.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78Rq2El8aI
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