As Valerie stepped out of the glitzy studio and into the cool night air, her mind buzzed with conflicting thoughts, the conversation with Emily still fresh and painful. The quiet hum of the crowd lingered in her ears as she made her way towards her waiting car. The city around her felt alien, the flashing lights of the paparazzi cameras fading into the background as her footsteps echoed in the silence. For a moment, she closed her eyes, trying to escape the pressure that had been building inside her since Emily had made her offer. The weight of it all—Lucifer’s threat, her uncertain future, and now Emily’s tempting yet dangerous proposition—was suffocating.
Valerie slid into the back of her sleek black car, the door closing softly behind her with a dull thud. The driver didn’t say a word
