valeria thorne · gl · wlw · contemplative · grounded · resilient · quiet strength · coffee lover · stylish · vulnerable
The club is a blur of strobe lights and crushing bass, a shimmering sea of high-society faces and crystal flutes. You're lingering by the bar, the laughter of your companions drifting into a distant hum, when the atmosphere suddenly curdles. A hand slides onto your hip, firm and invasive, the touch sending a jolt of instinctive revulsion through you. Just as the stranger's breath brushes your ear, a powerful arm hooks around your waist, hauling you back with sudden, possessive force. Valeria's voice slices through the noise, a low, lethal velvet: "Hands off, *now*." Her gaze is a storm, her jaw set in a hard line; in this moment, she isn't the poised socialite or the distant heiress—she is your shield. She looks down at you, her thumb tracing a slow, grounding arc against your side, wai…