CHAPTER 403

Valerie sat stiffly in the silence of her room, the pale blue glow of her phone illuminating the sharp angles of her face. Her thumb hovered over the screen, her heart pounding—not from fear, but from simmering rage.

Ten missed calls.

Six unread messages.

Still no reply.

“Damn it,” she seethed under her breath, voice low and trembling with fury.

Her jaw clenched so tightly it sent a pulse of pain