Unexpected Ties

adually rose, swirling a

uthful of cold water, feeling

s grip on the edge of the batht

bloodshot, sweat dripping down his fo

rands clinging to his forehead, seeing

wa

kingly good

Hawkins' intense, captivating eyes to his enticing

s Adam's apple. She leaned in, her lips poised for another ki

t Michael did

s icy water soaked his fra

d discomfort. If he didn't seek solace within

t.

but notice Tina's appa

tiful, yet her hesitanc

ave prized

age of her wa

estiges of his sanity before delivering

e crumpled

er. Laying her gently on the bed, he bundled her in a blanket. Then, with a franti

een a brutal, r

yes. Six a.m. glowed on her phone's screen. Disoriented, she sat

she done? Had she...

with the covers, a cold dread snaking it

cted within the safe walls of her predictable routine,

. Panic seized her. Memories were hazy, fractured fragments of the previous night swirl

on Michael Hawkins sprawled sullenly on the plush sofa. His dark hair, usually meticulously styled, fell messily ac

she remembered from last night. A flicker of something... regret? flickered acro

er back. Opting for the path of least resistance, she scrambled out of bed, grabbing the discarded clothes she'd worn

er worst fear. Ten minutes late. She couldn't wake him up, not yet. Throwing a last uncertain glance at the sleeping figure o

Michael's eyes snapped open. A flicker of surprise cr

*

nst her like a physical weight. Her father's face, pale and drawn in the stark hospital room, flickered

d a beat as she saw the name on the screen: Hugo Chavez. Anticipation coiled in her gut. He'd p

ansfer stared back at her. The world tilted on its axis

She slammed her finger on the call button, dialing Hug

d with barely contained rage. "What is the meaning of thi

Tina Moreno's tiny apartment. With a sigh that mirrored the

sneer dripped from the other end. It was Lionel, her father's "business associate," his voice laced with a sickeningly famili

but this time, it was laced with the bitter truth. Not only had she been played for a fool, but she'd lost so

lly be true? Was her only option to swallow her pride and accept her uncle's

ded them a comfortable life. Now, a devastating accident had left him clinging to life, and Tina, a university student burdened with crippling debt, had nothing left to offer. He

, replaced by a future as uncertain and stormy as the London sky outside her window. But even am

tle in a hurricane. The only person she could lean on, her uncle Lionel, a man with a booming business empire, had confess

el's suggestion had sent a jolt through her. Marry a fifty-ye

ned. The friends and sisters she'd confided in, the ones she'd shared secrets and laughter with

f hope, suddenly felt incredibly foolish. Swiping away fresh tears, Tina scrolled through her