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.

The room felt quiet, and the air between us seemed heavier than usual. After I had finished helping Bella with the ointments and lotion, I didn't want to move. I sat beside her on the couch, not sure what to say or do next. There was something about her that made me want to stay close, something in the way she looked at me like she needed me to be there for her, even if she didn't say it out loud.


We were quiet, just breathing, and I could feel the tension between us. It wasn't uncomfortable, far from it but there was a strange electricity in the air, something I couldn't ignore. It was like everything around us faded away, and it was just the two of us in the room, sharing this still moment together.


Chapter 145 - Friends don't do this Alex