Chapter 36

• Present
• Valerie stood frozen, gazing through the hospital room's glass window, witnessing Dominic's army surrounding the building. Once intended to protect her, their presence now suffocated her. The irony twisted in her chest like a knife.
• She yearned to shatter the glass, escape the toxic world Dominic constructed around her. Valerie's priorities shifted; self-preservation eclipsed loyalty. Tears pricked her eyes as desperation consumed her.