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.

After leaving the prison, I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the emotions that came with seeing Noah. It was always hard, but today felt even heavier. Maybe it was because of how hopeful he looked when I promised that next year, he'd be out, and Mia would be awake. I wasn't sure if I was comforting him or myself.


I hailed a cab and headed straight to the lawyer's office. When I arrived, he wasn't around but then I made payment to his secretary because I was not even ready to face him, not after his stupid idea that he proposed to me the last time I was in his office. I thanked the secretary, feeling a bit lighter as I stepped out.


Chapter 59 - The same cycle