Chapter 31

• Past
• Valerie's eyes fluttered open, jolting her awake from the haunting nightmare. The same scene replayed in her mind—the brutal torture of the man by Dominic, the gunshot, and the lifeless body drenched in sweat. She couldn't shake off the vivid images, now etched in her memory.
• As she stirred, a sharp pain stabbed through her abdomen. Valerie's gaze fell upon the bed, where bloodstains marred the sheets. Panic set in.