Toxic Alliance

VANESSA'S POV

I got down from my Uber, the sound of the car door clicking shut echoing faintly behind me. I paid the driver through the app, slipping my phone back into my purse as the vehicle pulled away into traffic. A gust of warm evening air brushed against my face, carrying the faint scent of roasted coffee beans from the café ahead.

For a moment, I just stood there on the sidewalk, staring a