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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KkWOUdPcT
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgh8Q7opcug
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDe3DRoq1G
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWJmqle6QA
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFidL1RkCPn
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRqPV8De36
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But not today. Today, she's fine, great even. Balanced. Unburdened by pain. Today, she's at her peak.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BDEEAQ7vm
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGHrYIm7eI
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbqJEdjeZq
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaErNBM8Af
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4PYjAQGSs
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndHD14AKr0
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GXKbgzuaZ
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhovS6bFPPy
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBQ0EaK4BR
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrZEt0vVFK
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TBhIZpj8f
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gaeQxN3oY
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He groaned and didn’t get up.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIytZzBUQgq
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhe8O5LLjjw
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgl9WoB7bG
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSjrVX519E
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hU8UYsPth
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBSCN3FTNv
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The kind of hunger only a warrior gets when they find someone worth bleeding for.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZpAeKatcc
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMO8443ErMi
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfeDHr6hmR
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0bm4losHI
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He didn’t look at them. He only looked at her, Valentina.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnwBjQ6yt7
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"Be serious with me, Valentina," he said as he rolled his shoulders back, settling into his stance.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOZYtZ7qcx
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGVrHrOgxq
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Xna4vGMSO
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He cracked his knuckles. “I’m no civilian.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUIHCtCIN4
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Valentina tilted her head, expression unreadable. “So I can go?” she asked again, voice flat, clinical.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHIP4BYPLj
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dpO2OYCEk
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"Okay," Valentina said simply.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeQZurAhHd
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHJCTQJKs8
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Hendrix lunged first.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySLSh6sMi8
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTeiJRcK5h
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpMC2oUxKB
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“Finally,” he growled.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFCE0OA2M6
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwfYnV6XFG
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0UssQXfPF
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Neither of them stopped.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWSvXxe4QB
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVh0u0IDwmb
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrN6ZXVB51
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrZFULsmlJ
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Valentina blinked. “Why? I can still fight.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGR0WEA86A
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MW9Oo0A1X
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3rXgBnO7k
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQjXiM1cEI
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaCIL3EB0q
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His fingers still tingled from the shock of her blocks. His joints ached. His lungs burnt. But he was smiling.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1figNPwzu
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcwmnzPPCz
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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:41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzANJTqoApn
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujwA1enn6O
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“She played you,” Bastian murmured, as if still stunned.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEisnXPTzW
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEphE5peAvS
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Another one of the younger recruits jogged up, eyes wide with concern. “Sir—are you all right?”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv74LltfROx
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZO79AEliMx
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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?”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPUy0OdF4n
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMONQW8rL6
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“Aye, sir.” Bastian’s response was immediate and reverent.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLQeiLpgsN
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhETlftxcQ5
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“Did you see her move?”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloRI5L0NU4
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“She didn’t even breathe hard.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5G95p1gPa9
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“She smiled while dodging Hendrix’s hook—smiled.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMItHXoDQ5
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“She made it look like a dance. And Hendrix is a tank.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmK27KuYiz
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“The guy trained with Delta Force. And she made him sweat.” Word was spreading like wildfire.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRE1IVLEGxe
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRiR90c6on
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpj7ED798eB
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Bastian glanced over. “You’re sure?”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVwOCQLGS6
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikXe3x4U0F
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZqTa6c3qA
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvYgFwUGsp
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“Yes, ma’am.” Valentina nodded.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9Bb7ZkZfU
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Veronica raised an eyebrow. “Call me Veronica, not ma’am.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEh3ipb6xh
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPD4hNevlE
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbyC41HEmp
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Valentina reached for the papers. “Thank you, Veronica.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLR05hbNls
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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?”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGYWAP2mjP
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Valentina blinked, her head tilting slightly, confused by the change in tone. “Yes.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphD5DERA2N
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“Anything else I can get for you, Valentina?” Veronica’s voice dropped—husky and teasing.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wXFjvwrp3
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Valentina paused, sensing something was off. “No, thank you. Unless you need something from me, Veronica?”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuNm5vt4tY
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Veronica’s grin widened. “Your number.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UTGU3Iqsv
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“It’s… on my application.” Valentina hesitated.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFoQvcKXAc
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9e0Lc6JEP
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But Valentina? She stood there like a statue—confused, unflinching, and unreadable.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi12AgwzGLU
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6x38CepfZG
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRuBtXEY7b
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Valentina froze.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfduhei0KES
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXn5iI2kTFy
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“...What should I do after this?” She asked him, utterly sincere.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9L1A9xA3l
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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?”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuedq4LZPUx
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4qfiIplEc
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Valentina nodded slowly. “Yes.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQmmzckbZN
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“You tasted so good,” Veronica murmured, her voice dripping with warmth and curiosity.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcOKBBv7np
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“I did?” Valentina repeated, confused but thoughtful.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4RaH66Znu
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6f0TdBMsW
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Hendrix shrugged, trying not to laugh again. “Be my guest. I’d like to see what happens.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9ujRhqP6Y
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslw2zKdm0T
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMPWODBN0D
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡto9Oh88RiE
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPifQuwxaf
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkO062Pg2i9
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjimxpkyVh
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk05E8gK4ex
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18lzmwxWeR
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHLbFfjrGT
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8arwax2tN
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Veronica exhaled, visibly dazed. “You’re going to ruin people in New York, you know that?” she whispered.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiBj3DBXax
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Valentina looked at Hendrix again. “Am I done?” she asked seriously.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AblVYbg4W
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He chuckled. “For now. Come on, rookie. Let’s go meet your real boss.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGuKHkfGTe
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4PsTSJshk
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Valentina blinked, still reeling. “Yes, ma’am.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVq81rXX1cA
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“Don’t ma’am me after that. Just—damn. Where the hell did you find her?” Veronica narrowed her eyes.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAELO8nmNdk
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“In the middle of nowhere. She walked into our hands like fate handed her over.” Hendrix is laughing out loud.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEyQvHKi0J
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“Fate?” Veronica muttered. “More like a damn divine prank.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfg2HGuplmk
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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?”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV12jiMLwvE
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“Sure,” Veronica replied with a smirk. “Though I’d say I left you speechless.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiVT2B5fGw
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoq7ldtBGrU
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Focus. Stay grounded. Breathe.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUW7Lro3jJ
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIlvwF7MOI
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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.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4wVI0G52Y
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“Yes, sir.” She takes the company badge.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQfidSaGnI
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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?”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRhF9CYD4S
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gNMAaCOIe
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“There,” she said. “Easy.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ216cLwsQ8U
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Valentina met her gaze. “Thank you, Veronica.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFTiuyz8LM
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIE42xf1jOP
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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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nNvWciaNS
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