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 stepped into the apartment, and the first thing I saw was Alex, sitting on the edge of the couch, his phone in one hand, a glass of something untouched on the table beside him. His brows were slightly furrowed, lips pressed in a straight line, and I could see from the look on his face that he'd been thinking, waiting.


"Bella," he said as soon as he saw me, standing up immediately. "You're back."


I nodded, slipping off my shoes at the door and trying to catch my breath. The whole ride back, my mind had been racing. I could barely believe everything Noah had told me, and I was still trying to figure out how to explain it all without sounding like I was losing my mind.


Alex walked over to me, concern written all over his face. "Did you see him?" he asked softly. "Noah?"


"Yeah," I said, nodding again. "I saw him."


Chapter 186 - 186