As she settled into the backseat of the car, the engine roared to life, drowning out the cacophony of her racing thoughts. ‘What is even happening at this point? Why has father turned against us?’ Valeria watched as the streets blurred past the window, each passing moment carrying her further away from the life she had known. 

The car slowed to a stop in front of a nondescript mall, its fluorescent lights casting an artificial glow over the empty parking lot. Valeria glanced around, her ...