-Sloane Pierce:
The morning air was crisp, sharp against my skin as I followed my usual routine with mechanical precision. Breakfast, a quick jog, a shower, a check of my schedule, and then out the door to catch the bus.
My bag felt heavier than usual, not because of weight but because of anticipation. Today was the day I would step into the world I had just legally bound myself to—a world ruled by Roxy Delgado and her family.
I glanced down at the small card in my hand, the address of the Delgado residence, and let out a slow, measured sigh.
Patience, I told myself. Just a few months. Pay off the loans, cover the debts, survive this, and I'd return to my own work, to my real life, the surgeries I loved, the patients I wanted to help on my terms.
The thought was comforting, but it didn't erase the flutter of anxiety pressing at my chest.
