CHAPTER: STUCK IN THE RAIN
ZARA:
The elevator ride down felt like a slow descent into hell. Every time the floor indicator blinked, I held my breath, waiting for the doors to open and for Darius to pull me back, telling me he’d had a change of heart. But then my memory kept replaying the way he’d looked at me with that cold, indifferent mask and threatened to throw me out if I didn't leave immediately. I was a fool for thinking I could play him. I was a fool for thinking any man in power would care about a girl like me.
When I stepped out into the hotel lobby, I didn't look back. I walked straight out into the humid night, the streetlights blurring through the tears I refused to let fall. I stood on the side of the road, frantically tapping on my phone, trying to summon a cab. My hands
