CHAPTER 15 The Breaking Point “Flora, you need to concentrate! Leo’s voice cut sharply through the fog in her brain as they wove their way through the jostling, crowded camp. Flora blinked, shaking her head to clear the fuzziness. She had been staring at her hands, her fingers wrapped around the edges of her tactical … Read more
CHAPTER 14 A Beacon of Hope +15 Bonus Flora stared at the envelope in her hand, the official seal marking its importance. She had been summoned to the commander’s office for a “special announcement.” Her mind whirred on. Was this another task? A reprimand for something she had missed during training? She took a deep … Read more
CHAPTER 13 The Rising Tension The phone on the table buzzed, lighting up with a name she never thought she would see again. Adrian. Her heart had skipped a beat, but she made herself not look at it–not yet, not when the anger was still fresh. She stared at the phone, trying to steady the … Read more
CHAPTER 12 The Struggle Within Adrian +16 Bonus “You’re thinking about her again, aren’t you?” Alice’s voice was sharp, cutting through the quiet tension in the room. Adrian didn’t bat an eyelash. He sat at his desk, papers laid out before him, but his focus was a million miles away. He could almost feel her … Read more
CHAPTER 11 The Space Left Behind The door slammed shut behind her as Flora entered her apartment. Her breathing came in quick, shallow gasps. She knew her face would be streaked with tears, but she wiped them away all the same. She had been crying for the last few hours, but being alone meant it … Read more
CHAPTER 10 A Rethink Adrian sat at the bar, fingers clasped on a glass he hadn’t touched. Across from him, Mark leaned back in his chair, sipping his drink with such ease it made Adrian want to punch something. “She hasn’t called you once?” Mark asked, an eyebrow rising. Adrian blew out a sharp breath. … Read more
CHAPTER 9 Life Again Flora stood with her arms crossed, watching Tony butcher his form yet again. Her patience had officially worn thin. “That’s not how you hold the damn weights, Tony,” she said, her voice laced with exasperation Tony, a cocky twenty–something who thought lifting was all about brute strength, flashed her a smirk … Read more
CHAPTER 8 Breakdown Flora paced, her restless energy filling the tiny room. The floorboards groaned with her hurried steps, but she didn’t pay them much mind. Her brain swirled with the echoes of last night–Adrian’s expression, the way he had looked at her, the way he had walked away. The way her chest had caved … Read more
CHAPTER 7 Painful Separation +15 Bonus Flora stood firm, her gaze unwavering as Adrian’s footsteps echoed on the ground. The man who had once been her world now felt like a stranger, and the words that left her lips were filled with a quiet strength she hadn’t known she possessed. “I already told you, Adrian. … Read more
Halfway into their journey back to Adrian’s house, the words of her father keep playing in Flora’s head. “A daughter with self respect.” Her dad may be extreme in his ways but is she really giving herself any respect right now? Is this what she really wants? Going back to him or is … Read more