Evelina left the school in a whirlwind of emotions. Her heart pounded as she hurried to her car, the heels of her burgundy pumps clicking rapidly on the pavement. How had her carefully constructed life unraveled so quickly?

She fumbled with her keys, hands trembling as she unlocked the sleek silver sedan. Sliding into the driver's seat, she took a shuddering breath. In the rearview mirror, her eyes were wide, mascara smudged from anxiously blinking away tears.

The rumble of an engine made her jump. Evelina twisted around to see Alden's black SUV pulling into the space behind her. He emerged, jaw clenched and eyes blazing like flints striking stone....