Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
· · ────── ঌ·✦·໒ ────── · ·
𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑪𝑨𝑹 𝑷𝑼𝑳𝑳𝑬𝑫 𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑶 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒐𝒕.
The vast emptiness surrounded us, only lit by the dull glow of distant streetlights. The eerie stillness hung in the air like a heavy blanket, pressing down with an intensity that seeped into my bones.
It was a silence that felt alive, pulsing, thick with unspoken tension.
Val's men moved in synchrony, stepping out to open his door, and then mine.
The cold night air bit against my skin as I stepped out, the chill sinking into me, making me more aware of the weight of the moment.
Armando, always the quiet observer, offered Valentino a long coat—a darker, more imposing one than he had worn earlier.
It suited him perfectly, wrapping around his tall frame.
He moved with purpose, every step deliberate, like a man who knew exactly where he was going, and I hurried to catch up.
Val's gaze locked onto mine, his eyes darker than the night around us, filled with a blend of authority and something that bordered on impatience.
His expression told me I was testing him, but I wasn't ready for what came next.
"Strip."
The command cut through the air.
My brain stuttered, struggling to process. "What?" The word stumbled out, clumsy and unprepared.
Val rolled his eyes, his irritation spilling over. "Lose the suit, the weapons, anything that ties you to V. Here, no one should know who you are and where you work."
It was a command that brooked no argument, disobedience.
But this—this felt different. More intense. More personal.
My mind spun, yet even as questions clawed at my throat, I felt my hands moving on their own, sliding out of my jacket, slipping my ID lanyard over my head.
Each piece I shed felt strangely freeing, as if I were peeling off layers of responsibility, control, identity.
The longer I stood under Val's gaze, the more I felt like I was surrendering pieces of myself—whether I wanted to or not.
As I handed over my firearm, the cold metal still warm from my grip, a chill ran through me.
This was more than just a change in clothes. This was something primal, something that left me exposed in a way I hadn't felt in years.
Loosening my tie, I let my hair fall messily over my forehead, abandoning the polished image I always maintained at V.
Val watched me with a sharp, almost predatory focus, his eyes barely moving but never leaving mine.
