12 DAYS BETWEEN US

CHAPTER 1

The alarm on Hannah Rosewood's phone went off at precisely 5:30 AM, playing a soft, melodic chime that filled her bedroom.

She didn't snooze. Instead, she lay perfectly still under the crisp, high-thread-count sheets of her queen-sized bed, watching the first pale light of a Texas dawn filter through her linen curtains. Her apartment was beautiful-a spacious, sunlit one-bedroom in a quiet neighborhood, styled with thick rugs, shelves of hardback books, and elegant ceramic decor she'd collected over the years.

By any standard, Hannah was doing well. She had a master's degree, a stable career at one of the state's most prestigious private academies, and a healthy savings account.

But as she stared at the crown molding on her ceiling, a familiar, heavy quiet settled over her. Today was her twenty-seven birthday. And for all her achievements, her personal life felt entirely frozen in time.

She turned her head to look at her nightstand. Her phone screen lit up with a few automated emails and a text from her mother, but nothing else. No romantic messages. No late-night calls.

At twenty-seven, Hannah had never been in a relationship. She had never had a boyfriend, never experienced a messy breakup, and had never been touched by any real passion.

While her colleagues spent lunches gossiping about bad dates, engagements, or the trials of moving in together, Hannah's romantic history was confined to a single, agonizing memory from her sophomore year of college. She could still vividly recall the cool autumn air outside the library, the desperate, impulsive way she had leaned in to kiss a guy she had crushed on for months, and the gentle but firm way he had stepped back.

"You're an amazing friend, Hannah, but I just don't see you that way."

The rejection had stung so deeply that she simply closed that door. She threw herself into her studies, then into her career, becoming the reliable, elegantly dressed woman who lived vicariously through the classic love stories she organized on the library shelves.

With a slow, deliberate breath, she pushed the duvet aside. Her feet hit the polished hardwood floor, and she began the smooth, unhurried routine that kept her days perfectly ordered.

St. Jude's Academy always smelled of fresh lemon wax, old paper, and expensive coffee in the mornings. It was a comforting environment, a place where Hannah felt entirely in control. She smoothed the skirt of her tailored dress, adjusted her watch, and walked down the quiet, arched hallway of the humanities' wing toward the faculty lounge. All she wanted was to fill her travel mug before her first-period Creative Writing and Advanced Literature class.

She turned the brass handle and pushed the heavy oak door open.

The room was completely dark.

"Surprise!"

Hannah gasped, her hand jumping to her chest as the warm overhead lights flared on. The entire teaching staff was crowded around the long mahogany conference table. A beautiful, professionally lettered banner hung across the cabinets:

Happy 27th Birthday, Hannah!

"Look at her, she actually had no idea," Sarah, the drama teacher, laughed, stepping forward to hand Hannah a small plate with a gourmet chocolate cupcake.

"You really thought we'd let today pass like a normal Monday?"

A sudden warmth rushed behind Hannah's eyes, melting the morning's quiet melancholy. "You guys... this is incredible. You didn't have to do this."

Principal Vance walked through the smiling crowd, holding a thick, cream-colored envelope with a wax seal. The room quieted down, everyone watching Hannah with eagerness, knowing grins.

"We know how much of your soul you pour into this school, Hannah,"

Principal Vance said his tone was genuinely warm.

"You've expanded our literary programs, you keep our library flawless, and you rarely take a day for yourself. The department wanted to give you something that isn't just another book to read. We wanted to give you a story of your own."

He handed her the envelope.

Hannah set the cupcake down, her fingers trembling slightly as she broke the seal. She slid out a glossy, heavy booklet embossed with gold foil.

"A 12-Day Luxury Cruise to the Hawaiian Islands."

All-Inclusive Suite. Departure: This Saturday.

Hannah stared at the bold, elegant text. Her breath caught her throat. "Hawaii? For twelve days? But... my classes, the curriculum-"

"Already covered," Sarah interrupted, throwing an arm around Hannah's shoulder with a bright smile. "Your lesson plans are set, a trusted substitute is booked, and your only job for the next two weeks is to sit by the ocean, drink something tropical, and completely forget about grading."

Hannah looked from the ticket to the faces of her friends. A wave of panic hit her first-the sheer shock of breaking her rigid, comfortable routine. But right beneath the anxiety, a tiny, unfamiliar spark flared to life in her chest.

For twelve days, she wouldn't be a quiet, safe school librarian. She was going to step into a completely different world.

The top floor of Reed Global Holdings offered a flawless view of the city's skyline, but Lucas Reed rarely spent time looking at it.

At thirty-two, Lucas moved through the business world with a sharp, calculating precision. When his parents died in a tragic accident over a decade ago, he was only twenty. Overnight, he had been forced to drop his youth, step into his father's tailored suits, and take the reins of a multi-million-dollar shipping and hospitality empire. He had survived by turning his heart into a vault. To the public, he was charming, effortlessly magnetic, and constantly surrounded by stunning women. To the media, he was a bachelor who had it all.

“But it was entirely an illusion”

The high-profile actresses and international models he photographed with on red carpets were nothing more than a strategic cover. They got the publicity; he got a shield that kept the world from asking why he never let anyone truly close.

He didn't believe in love, and he certainly didn't believe in happily-ever-after's. The only family he had left was his older sister, Amy. She was thirty-five now, and since marrying her husband nine years ago, she had been living in Texas, raising her son, Lucas's eight-year-old nephew. Amy was the only person who could see right through Lucas's corporate armor.

"Lucas, you're staring at that spreadsheet like it owes you money," a voice interrupted.

Marcus, his Chief Operating Officer and closest friend, walked into the glass office, tossing a folder onto the mahogany desk.

"The final marketing reports for the Oceanic Aurora launch," Marcus said, leaning against the desk. "Our PR team just finalized the contract extension with Valeria Vance. Her face is officially the brand ambassador for the new luxury cruise line. The media is already speculating why you two were spotted at dinner last week."

Lucas didn't look up from his laptop.

"Valeria wanted a headline, and Reed Global wanted the front page of the business section. It was a mutual transaction.

Is the inaugural couples cruise fully booked?

"Completely," Marcus said. Then, he reached over and firmly shut Lucas's laptop.

Lucas blinked, his jaw tightened

"What are you doing?"

"Saving your life," Marcus replied smoothly. "You haven't taken a single day off since the Atlantic merger three years ago. You look exhausted, Lucas. Amy called me yesterday from Texas, complaining that her son is turning eight and his favorite uncle is too busy to even visit. The Oceanic Aurora departs for its twelve-day Hawaiian run this Saturday. Your private suit is empty. I've already cleared your schedule."

Lucas let out a harsh, dry laugh. "I don't do cruises, Marcus. Especially not couples' cruises."

"Then don't think of it as a cruise.

Think of it as a mandatory operational inspection," Marcus insisted, his tone turning serious. "Go walk on the decks. Sleep for more than four hours a night. Give yourself a vacation before you burn this entire building down from sheer stress. The company will survive twelve days without you."

Lucas stared at the closed laptop, then looked out at the floor-to-ceiling windows. His chest felt tight, a heavy weariness settling deep into his bones. Marcus was right; the walls of this office were starting to feel like a cage.

He needed space. He needed a horizon where no one knew his name or expected him to be the flawless CEO of Reed Global.

"Fine," Lucas said quietly, leaning back in his leather chair. "Twelve days. Just me, the ocean, and some peace and quiet."

He had no idea his carefully constructed world was about to be completely dismantled.