pte

ph

y time I closed my eyes, his face appeared. His piercing blue eyes, unyielding and cold, haunted me. The sharp curve of his jaw, the confident smirk that seemed both cruel and seductive, and that to

. Every time I tried to distract myself, they crept back in, invading my thoughts. I

e. My father's debts weren't something I could fix with money or apologies. This wasn't a typical debt. This was somethin

e one in control of my life. But now, it felt like I was b

But the bright lights of the skyscrapers felt distant, far out of reach, and they did nothing to calm the storm inside me. My

phi

involuntary flutter at the sight of my best friend, Eva, walking toward me. She had a way of lighting up any

lowing down as she approached, he

t felt hollow. "Yeah, just

I knew I wouldn't be able to hide this from her. She always

she said, her voice soft but laced with

ily on my chest. I couldn't tell her the truth-not about him, not about

g a lightness to my tone I didn't feel. I h

and resting briefly on my arm as if trying to ground

llow. Eva didn't wait for me to say more. With a quiet sigh, she gave me a final look

at I was dealing with. And maybe, just maybe, that was a blessing. Because as

w long could I keep running from this? Mikhail would come for me.

-

kh

g like a thousand scattered stars. But the view didn't interest me. It never did. I had everyt

er to be scared. I expected her to break at the sight of me, to crumble under the weight of the Bra

that fire would burn her. And

e when it buzzed on t

, my voice steady, b

or's voice crackled through

call unless something had gone

sinking in. "Someone's been asking questions about her. Someone who d

e, the calm facade I'd been holdin

ut I'm looking into it. I don't lik

g the next steps. This wasn't just about keeping her safe-it was about control.

, barely controlled. "Don't let anyone g

other end before Viktor

ead. It was more than just her beauty. It was the way she had held herself, unflin

below. I wasn't used to feeling like this. But I'd promised

ust a debt. This was abo

ame to collect, I w