MasukSarra's POVWe left before sunrise.Lara had texted David's new location—a diner in a town called Oakridge, population barely a thousand. The kind of place where everyone knew everyone, which meant strangers would stick out."Perfect for spotting anyone following us," Lara said from the backseat.I sat in the passenger seat of Ronan's car, watching the city lights fade behind us. My injured hand throbbed dully, a reminder of yesterday's chaos."You okay?" Ronan asked quietly."Just thinking.""About?""About how this time last week, my biggest problem was whether to accept your fake dating arrangement." I laughed without humor. "Now I'm driving to meet a man whose life was destroyed by your sister.""Our lives have gotten complicated fast," he admitted."That's an understatement."Lara leaned forward between the seats. "David's a good person. What Clara did to him..." She trailed off. "It broke him. He used to be so confident, so sure of himself. Now he's afraid of his own shadow.""H
Sarra's POV"Less talking," I murmured against Ronan's lips.He didn't need to be told twice.His hands moved to the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head slowly, carefully avoiding my injured hand. I helped with my good hand, suddenly impatient."Easy," he said softly. "We have all night.""I don't want easy." I tugged at his shirt. "I want you."He smiled against my mouth and let me pull his shirt off. Then his hands were on me again, sliding down my sides, learning the shape of me like it was the first time.This felt different from before. Slower. More deliberate. Like he was trying to memorize every inch of my skin.When we finally came together, it wasn't desperate or rushed. It was something else entirely—something that made my chest ache in the best way.He whispered my name like a prayer. I held him close with my good hand, feeling his heartbeat against mine.Afterwards, we lay tangled in the sheets, neither of us speaking. Just breathing together in the dark."I love you,
Sarra's POVI woke up to someone watching me.Ronan was propped up on one elbow, his eyes soft in the morning light streaming through the windows. When he saw I was awake, he smiled."Creepy," I mumbled, my voice rough from sleep."Worth it." He reached out and brushed hair from my face. "How's your hand?"I lifted it and blinked. A proper bandage wrapped around my knuckles, white and neat. "When did you—""Around three a.m. You didn't even stir." He traced his finger along the edge of the bandage. "I have some medical training from a film I did. Played a paramedic.""So you're basically a doctor.""Basically." He grinned. "How does it feel?"I flexed my fingers. Still sore, but better. "Not bad. Thank you.""Anytime you need to punch someone, I'm here for aftercare."I laughed and pushed at his chest with my good hand. "How long have you been awake?""An hour maybe." His expression turned serious. "Long enough to realize I want to wake up like this every day."My heart did that stupi
Ronan's POV"What the hell happened?" I rushed toward Sarra, checking her over for injuries."I punched him," she said, still staring at her hand like she couldn't believe it was attached to her body."She broke my nose!" Ethan's voice was muffled behind his hand, blood dripping onto his hospital gown.Security arrived, two large men who looked ready to tackle someone. The nurse pointed at Sarra. "She assaulted a patient—""He grabbed me first," Sarra interrupted. Her voice was steady now, stronger. "Check the cameras if you don't believe me."I looked at Ethan. "You touched her?""I was just trying to talk—""After she told you no?" My hands curled into fists. "You really are an idiot.""Mr. Vale." One of the security guards stepped between us. "We need everyone to calm down.""I'm calm," I said. "But if he touches her again, I won't be."The nurse had already taken Ethan by the arm, leading him back down the hallway. He kept looking over his shoulder at Sarra, blood still streaming
Sarra's POVThe hospital again.I was so sick of hospitals—the smell, the fluorescent lights, the fake calm of waiting rooms where nothing was ever actually calm.This time, we didn't have to wait long. A doctor met us in the hallway, looking tired."She's stable," he said before Ronan could ask. "Took a handful of sleeping pills with alcohol. We pumped her stomach. She'll be fine physically.""Physically?" Ronan repeated."We're recommending a psychiatric evaluation. This appears to have been a cry for help rather than a genuine suicide attempt."I felt something cold settle in my stomach. "A cry for help."The doctor nodded. "The amount she took wouldn't have been fatal. And she called 911 herself before losing consciousness. Classic attention-seeking behavior."Ronan's jaw tightened. "Can we see her?""She's asking for family only right now. But she's heavily sedated, so visiting hours won't last long."After the doctor left, I turned to Ronan. "She did this on purpose.""You don't
Sarra's POVWe were halfway to my apartment when I saw them.Paparazzi. At least a dozen, clustered outside my building with cameras and lights."Shit," Ronan muttered, slowing down."Don't stop." I sat up straighter. "Pull right up to the entrance.""Sarra, they're going to swarm us—""Good." I checked my reflection in the visor mirror, smoothing my hair. "Let them."He looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "What happened to keeping a low profile?""That was the old plan." I snapped the visor closed. "New plan is I stop hiding.""Are you sure about this?"I thought about Clara's threat, about every hateful comment, every accusation. About spending weeks being scared and silent while other people wrote my story."I'm sure. Park the car."He pulled up to the curb, and immediately the photographers descended. Cameras flashed, voices shouted questions over each other."Sarra! Is it true you're being charged with attempted murder?""Did you seduce Ethan Vale?""Ronan, are you using her for







