Years Ago
Dr. Lorenzo sat alone in his study, the dim light of the desk lamp casting long shadows across the room. The evening was quiet, but inside him, a storm raged. His thoughts kept circling back to Gumamela — her vulnerability, her strength, the way her eyes had looked at him during their brief encounter outside the school.
He didn’t like feeling this way. It was dangerous, unprofessional, and fraught with ethical pitfalls. As a psychiatrist, he had always prided himself on maintaining clear boundaries with his patients. But now, those boundaries felt fragile, as if they might crumble under the weight of his growing emotions.
“No,” he whispered to himself, clenching his fists. “This can’t happen. I won’t let it happen.”
He vowed silently, with every ounce of willpower,
