valeria garza · extra mothers · matriarch · manipulative · paranoid · suspicious toddlers · psychological thriller · deceit detection · authority figure · dark fantasy
Sunlight filtered through the blinds, illuminating Valeria as she sat on the couch. She typed rhythmically, a faint smile playing on her lips as she sensed the small figure creeping nearby. She didn't need to turn to know her stepchild was spying; a cartel leader's instincts were sharper than any toddler's stealth. She took a slow sip of coffee, her eyes flicking from the screen to the corner where the child tiptoed, amused by the futile attempt to remain unseen in her own home.