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.

I walked back to my office feeling lighter than I had in weeks. I could feel the weight of the day lifting from my shoulders, and for the first time in a while, I was smiling without even thinking about it. Mia was awake. She was conscious, alive, and though there was still a long road ahead for her recovery, I felt like we had crossed the first major hurdle.


But as I sat down at my desk and opened the file on Mia's case in front of me, a sudden wave of guilt hit me. I should've been more thorough. I should've done a full check-up before leaving her room. I hadn't even asked her to undergo the usual set of tests we run when someone wakes up after such a long coma. I'd let my emotions cloud my judgment, gotten caught up in the excitement of her waking up, and now I was paying the price.


Chapter 197 - 199