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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJPso0nlQw
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrjsoVq3Xg
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZViwEBpCk
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NzQx0RTz5
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupjzazKBcY
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVLLl8Qtq1
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But not today. Today, she's fine, great even. Balanced. Unburdened by pain. Today, she's at her peak.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2xRetM65f
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLsclyJIEJ
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBJ0sj2Vrp
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCELAcik7b
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzV8rkliEOs
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jEJwW8NOC
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmd6waoeY1l
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBsvzdLMx9
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhYVSDRBDe
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4tKBXgVVZ
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3XxAIOVcL
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeEPJ07BMr
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He groaned and didn’t get up.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFRmU6iOpB
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjV236YHMte
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTmDZxvdZT
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV068RDz138
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6HAZWjgGg
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3CB2CvS8u
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The kind of hunger only a warrior gets when they find someone worth bleeding for.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrpX8Z27vl
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGlvs4qFd0
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5TA6HPcLI
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPh8HNqzmhn
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He didn’t look at them. He only looked at her, Valentina.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZaX1kWJrl
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"Be serious with me, Valentina," he said as he rolled his shoulders back, settling into his stance.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1A7g7z0DQ
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwd6AlJaJG
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWS3MaX4Dbe
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He cracked his knuckles. “I’m no civilian.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGENIqbbfk
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Valentina tilted her head, expression unreadable. “So I can go?” she asked again, voice flat, clinical.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDylEv8NzO
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoeztT6Yv0
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"Okay," Valentina said simply.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6Mol7Dsir
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehe62aq4sg
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Hendrix lunged first.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6Ty1gyZIx
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5C8N5pp6p
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPMYMi1I02
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“Finally,” he growled.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgX4A5637L
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVKc9CsALO
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zl8Y0ZPOX
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Neither of them stopped.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZEP7nsrMP
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjr5PDJLVMP
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTOpywVrPV
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsfz1cfOqr
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Valentina blinked. “Why? I can still fight.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxrJTDMIKW
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWb6yD85wN9
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IFLRB2SMX
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtGvuZX8JU
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOE8edhdG2M
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His fingers still tingled from the shock of her blocks. His joints ached. His lungs burnt. But he was smiling.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYpfELEiFa
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8o3YSclDP
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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:7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccKhYuRZRi
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftngtc0iUh
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“She played you,” Bastian murmured, as if still stunned.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKUziduE7e
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUleWFM74N
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Another one of the younger recruits jogged up, eyes wide with concern. “Sir—are you all right?”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpSzLfs7w0
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52hIMNzpCF
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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?”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HF9MzNKvY
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPdC3j16HZ
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“Aye, sir.” Bastian’s response was immediate and reverent.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vndkunBmB
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3LGbt2lo2
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“Did you see her move?”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtjDM8rWFZ
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“She didn’t even breathe hard.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1erli5WYbm
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“She smiled while dodging Hendrix’s hook—smiled.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCJs2cv3jZ
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“She made it look like a dance. And Hendrix is a tank.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9zUBe2Gjg
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“The guy trained with Delta Force. And she made him sweat.” Word was spreading like wildfire.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtHNcEEcFA
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1D6f5uOMhY
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dTuVdrYiq
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Bastian glanced over. “You’re sure?”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJB8SEIGLR1
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2S4SfmyY4
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRz3vjO9ahE
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQTWBmQC2x
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“Yes, ma’am.” Valentina nodded.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6jgsPg0Kk
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Veronica raised an eyebrow. “Call me Veronica, not ma’am.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoXNmtMMZ3
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66ohMsHLug
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85A53aNZdt
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Valentina reached for the papers. “Thank you, Veronica.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WFoAbLzjz
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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?”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsBLejZEMm
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Valentina blinked, her head tilting slightly, confused by the change in tone. “Yes.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqJ4VKHUEg
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“Anything else I can get for you, Valentina?” Veronica’s voice dropped—husky and teasing.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzoFrfi7Rk
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Valentina paused, sensing something was off. “No, thank you. Unless you need something from me, Veronica?”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYwAek0xF0
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Veronica’s grin widened. “Your number.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKEXX7Hs8d
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“It’s… on my application.” Valentina hesitated.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIGE4oAjE5
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8RTXwdlrA
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But Valentina? She stood there like a statue—confused, unflinching, and unreadable.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpLrbSXA7f
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqpxyVrfIA
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0neK244ts
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Valentina froze.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfQzI4y9mH
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzYdY5y3eP
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“...What should I do after this?” She asked him, utterly sincere.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXB1rnbHl7
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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?”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisD3r9ToJs
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTJEbTfCH9
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Valentina nodded slowly. “Yes.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwrKXS3byb
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“You tasted so good,” Veronica murmured, her voice dripping with warmth and curiosity.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXQwS7IrkA
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“I did?” Valentina repeated, confused but thoughtful.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWK6akF317
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9RGCruqYi
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Hendrix shrugged, trying not to laugh again. “Be my guest. I’d like to see what happens.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJb5XAARND
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkGRGIqgLE
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKBull0yLN
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkjzH9wjNX
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XOcYB7FBh
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQJZfYcCT5
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmw8UHQU2SB
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS93oP654Vw
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJp0A7gPFUs
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkszKZ5O9v
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeb8oUZ6zhZ
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Veronica exhaled, visibly dazed. “You’re going to ruin people in New York, you know that?” she whispered.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYycxMtCStr
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Valentina looked at Hendrix again. “Am I done?” she asked seriously.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJdeofFc2Y
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He chuckled. “For now. Come on, rookie. Let’s go meet your real boss.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgfoTSk2OE
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Euhhf4xhe
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Valentina blinked, still reeling. “Yes, ma’am.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdwS1bsTYY
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“Don’t ma’am me after that. Just—damn. Where the hell did you find her?” Veronica narrowed her eyes.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8NzIha8wr
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“In the middle of nowhere. She walked into our hands like fate handed her over.” Hendrix is laughing out loud.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2KH5YCEKp
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“Fate?” Veronica muttered. “More like a damn divine prank.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoZwdWF7Ex
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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?”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnj466NsFla
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“Sure,” Veronica replied with a smirk. “Though I’d say I left you speechless.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0p8sCrMhn
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18u3RTPck2
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Focus. Stay grounded. Breathe.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM51oCzWfyu
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vIkVyXPXx
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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.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJFwPYEDYC
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“Yes, sir.” She takes the company badge.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡae8gJ4okNt
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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?”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIpOIBaZ7u
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgke3i2bDD7
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“There,” she said. “Easy.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJiFR5aWMM
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Valentina met her gaze. “Thank you, Veronica.”7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYnHEjouEF
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3MNLyMYOY
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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.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0ei6JfSn9
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