Val's P.O.V

The glow of the laptop screen was the only light left in the room, the afternoon sun having dipped below the hedge line, casting the living room in long, deep shadows. I was lost in a deep dive, cross-referencing standard influencer contracts with the monstrosity I’d been sent, when a sound cut through my hyper-focus.

It was a low, familiar rumble. Not a car passing on the street. This was closer. Deeper. It was the distinct, throaty purr of a well-tuned engine starting up ...