Pain. That was the first thing Valeria felt when she woke up.
The car was upside down. Steam rose from the engine. The smell of gasoline filled her nose.
"Elara?" Her voice came out as a croak.
She turned her head, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through her neck. The backseat was crushed, but the car seat was still intact. Elara was unconscious, blood on her forehead, but she was breathing.
Thank God.
Valeria tried to move but couldn't. Her legs were trapped under twisted metal. Blood ran down her face, and she could feel something wrong with her jaw. Her beautiful face—the one that had made men fall at her feet—was destroyed.
Footsteps approached. A man in dark clothes appeared at the window.
"Help," Valeria gasped. "Please, get my daughter out."
The man studied her for a moment. He didn't recognize her. The crash had changed her face completely. Good. Maybe that would keep them both alive.
"I'll get her," he said. His voice was calm, professional.
He pulled Elara from the wreckage, cradling her carefully. The little girl's eyes fluttered open for a second.
"Mama?" she whispered.
"She's safe," the man told her. "You're safe now."
Valeria felt tears mixing with the blood on her cheeks. "Take her," she said. "Please. Don't let them find her."
The man looked confused. "Who's looking for her?"
"Everyone." Valeria's voice was getting weaker. "They want what I made. But they don't know… they don't know she's the key."
A spark flashed under the hood. Then another.
The man's eyes widened. "We need to get you out—"
"No time," Valeria said. "Just protect her. Promise me."
The car exploded.