MATURE

Life hasn’t been kind to me. One moment, I was a carefree eighteen-year-old with dreams of a bright future. The next, I was a 28 year old lady and my world went up in flames. literally. My mom died in the fire that destroyed our home, my little sister is in a coma, and my brother’s in jail for trying to keep us afloat. My dad? He left us drowning in debt and despair.

I thought I’d hit rock bottom, but then I found myself working in a place where dreams go to die, doing things I never imagined just to survive. That’s when he walked into my life, Alex Romanov. Dangerous. Mysterious. And entirely out of my league.

He’s everything I should fear, but there’s something about him that draws me in. Maybe it’s the way he looks at me like I’m more than just another broken soul. Or the way he makes me feel alive when I thought I’d forgotten how.

But Alex has secrets, dark ones that could destroy us both. And as my past collides with his world, I’m left wondering: Can I trust the man who’s slowly stealing my heart, or will his darkness swallow me whole?

This isn’t the life I wanted, but it’s the one I’ve been given.

My heart sank. The manager's words hit harder than I expected. The thought of Alex sleeping with me, something I hadn't even fully understood yet, was suddenly twisted into something ugly by the manager's tone. I wasn't trying to act like I was above anyone, but now it felt like the fight was being turned on me. The manager made it clear that he didn't care about what had happened, only about his own idea of power.


I shook my head, trying to stay calm despite the rage bubbling up inside me. "No," I said quietly, my voice shaky but firm. "I never said anything like that. I didn't ask for any of this."


The manager scoffed, clearly not buying it. "Then why are you making such a scene? Why didn't you just walk away? Why didn't you take it like the others do?"


Chapter 48 - Rich man's eyes