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 had waited long enough. Watching Bella walk around like she had no clue what she was doing. I thought maybe she'd tell Alex eventually. Maybe she'd realize she didn't belong in his world and quietly walk away. But she didn't. And now, I was done waiting.


I wasn't going to sit back while she played house with Alex. I wasn't going to pretend like she didn't know what she was doing, like she didn't feel something for him. It was written all over her face. And maybe he didn't see it yet, but I did. I saw everything.


I was tired of being invisible. Tired of watching him fall deeper into something he hadn't even accepted yet. So I hired someone.


A man with a sharp eye and no conscience. I gave him one job: follow Bella.


Not to hurt her. Not yet. Just to watch.


I wanted to know who she met, where she went, who she spoke to if she called him. I wanted every detail. If there was one thing I knew how to do, it was gather information and use it well.


Chapter 168 - 168