Valerie stood by the window, her gaze fixed on the city’s skyline as the light of day slowly bled into the inky depths of night. A dull ache throbbed in her chest, the world outside slipping into shadows as her mind spiraled, weighed down by the torrent of thoughts that refused to subside. Her fingers brushed against the cool glass, tracing patterns like a woman trying to map the stars. It felt almost instinctive, like a way to tether herself to something that wasn’t slipping through her fingers.
The conversation with Laura still lingered in her mind, an open wound she couldn’t close. The words Laura had spoken, each one sharp and laden with secrets, had unearthed something in Valerie, something she had buried deep in the recesses of her soul. Something dangerous. Her thoughts tumbled ove
