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.

"Mia," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I hope you can."


I reached for her hand, hesitating for just a second before taking it gently in mine. Her skin was warm, her fingers slender and soft. It was a stark contrast to the months she had spent lying here, unmoving, trapped in a state that no one could predict the outcome of. But today, she had moved. Not once, but twice. It was a sign—one I wasn't going to ignore.


"You've been fighting so hard," I continued, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles. "And I know you must be tired. But I need you to keep fighting, Mia. We all do."


Chapter 137 - Come back to us