Valerie’s POV"Valerie." Deep and commanding, Drake's voice echoed down the hall. I stopped, tightened my hold on the strap of my bag, and turned to face him. He stood at the end of the corridor, his expression unreadable, though there was a tension in his stance that made her wary."I came for my things," I said, my voice even, though my heart raced. "I don't plan on staying."Drake stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "You can't just walk away from this, Valerie. From us.""There is no 'us,' Drake," I replied, a sharp edge to my tone. "There never was. It was a contract, nothing more."His jaw flexed, and for an instant, I could have sworn I saw a flicker of something… hurt, maybe? in his eyes. But then it was gone, replaced by the mask of control he wore so well."You're making a mistake," Drake said, his voice low and dangerous. "You know you can't afford to leave. Your brother's medical bills”."Don't you dare," I snapped, cutting him off. My eyes flashed anger as I took a step fo
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