LOGINRenetaI stood in front of a long black dress, covered in leather and worth probably more than my entire net worth. I loved fashion so much. Just taking in the displayed clothes made me feel alive.But I couldn't ignore Drent.He just leaned there, looking incredibly handsome as his eyes tore through me.I still hadn't gotten over the fact that he had actually bailed me out. I had accepted my fate that I was spending a week in a cell and my life was ruined, but he came.But why? The question thudded in my chest. Maybe it was the offer, which I still had no interest in accepting. I knew my job at Tinnies would be gone by now, knowing fully well I had missed the resumption time, but I had another job in mind and didn't want his dirty money. I would work my ass off and pay for my mom's surgery without him.And for the final exams screening, I didn't know my fate on that. Edwina had said if I missed it I wouldn't graduate next year, and that was a nightmare. I had to call her later to get
DrentShe stood there, staring at me. More beautiful than the last time we saw each other, as much as it pained me to admit. A jail was somewhere I would never go. It was a slump, a place where the broke and the poor were locked away when they crossed people like us, who never had reason to come here.And yet I found myself standing there because of a lady I didn't even really know, but for some reason couldn't get out of my mind.The shock on her face was visible even to me. She didn't expect someone like me to bail her out. But lucky for her I had a plan, and like I told her before, I got what I wanted, no matter what or who it was. Even her."Happy to see me?" My voice snapped her back from whatever shock she felt.Her lips parted but she didn't say a word. I walked over to her, taking in the place and also taking in her alluring figure. I couldn't wait to make her mine."It seems you've lost your words," I said, playing with a strand of her hair."I haven't," she finally said, her
RenataAfter three straight days in the hospital, I had not taken calls from anyone. I had stayed off social media, away from school, and away from everything else. Just sitting beside my mom and watching over her, hoping she would be alright.I had applied for a job at Tinnies, a fast food spot nearby, and they told me to resume today. The pay was not much, but I planned to work triple shifts on weekdays and Wednesdays, then attend school on the remaining days. It was not going to be easy, but it was the only way I could raise enough money for her surgery.I had been lying beside her and had drifted into a deep sleep. I had not eaten anything in three days. The appetite simply was not there. Then I felt a hand tap me softly. I sat up and stretched my already exhausted bones, and when I opened my eyes, my mom was awake."Mom," I cried out, wrapping my arms around her carefully. Her hands were still connected to the drip lines. She was still fragile. I could see her eyes fighting to st
RenataA week passed and all my efforts to get into the tournament had failed. A part of me began to regret not taking Drent up on his offer, but another part of me was glad I had not. I did not trust him or his family.They were probably the kind of rich family that believed only money mattered, one where human life did not even come close. And Drent seemed like a spoiled kid who would end up dumping me like all his other girlfriends if I had accepted.But that was in the past. Since I left his hotel, every effort I made to get into the tournament had come to nothing. It started tomorrow. All the boys had been placed into their brackets, assigned their dates and their gear. And I had no place among them.The prize money lingered in my mind like a sour taste I could not get rid of, but getting into the tournament at this point was impossible.I had been delusional. I had been stupid. It dawned on me slowly that maybe Coach Peterston and everyone else had been right all along. There wa
DrentThere was something unsettling about her. I had asked for a spa therapist, but instead they had sent me something I found far more amusing. A tiny, curvy girl who I found surprisingly tempting.Which was strange, because I had not felt that way about anyone in years. But it felt like a good sign. Maybe coming to this city to find someone had not been such a ridiculous idea after all.My father had threatened to withhold the boxing company from me, the one my grandfather had built and passed to him, unless I proved to him I was capable of committing to a relationship. It was not my fault that I had gone through more heartbreaks before the age of eighteen than most men experienced in a lifetime. I had made a vow never to put myself through that again. But now, I needed to be in a relationship to secure the company. I had six months. That was part of why I had accepted this school tournament. It was a distraction more than anything, something to occupy my mind while I figured out h
RenataI waited for Edwina outside the class. I had stared at the flyer for so long that if someone handed me a computer, I could recreate it without looking.The bell rang and the students pushed through, rushing out. My eyes strained as I searched for Edwina. When she finally appeared, I dragged her to a corner beside the lockers.Surprise etched across her face. I had not been in school for a week."Girl. Where have you been?""Look," I said, moving closer, my voice dropping below a whisper. The desperation was visible in my eyes. "Edwina, we have got to find a way to get me into that tournament."She paused, staring at me."How? We can't convince coach.""I know. Look, this isn't about me anymore. It's my mother."She gasped. "Your mom? What happened?" She began to panic."She's fine. For now. It's the rent."She understood immediately and drew me closer. "But even if we got you into the tournament, how sure are you that you are going to win?"She had a point. But I had been train







