The night air was crisp, a faint mist rolling in as Alina stepped out of the cab. The city’s usual vibrancy was muted here, replaced by dim streetlights flickering like distant stars, barely holding back the darkness. The location Jake had sent her was an old parking lot on the outskirts of town, near the docks—a place that felt forgotten by time and civilization.
Her heart raced, not from fear, but from the heavy weight of uncertainty. She clutched her coat tighter around her, the chill seeping into her bones. What am I doing here? she thought, glancing around the empty lot.
Then she saw him.
Jake emerged from the shadows, leaning casually against a black car, his expression smug yet cautious. His charm, once captivating, now felt like a mask—a thin veneer hiding the manipulative man b
