AUTHORS POV

Tessa’s heels tapped softly against the tiled floor of the shopping mall as she made her way down the brightly lit aisle. She wasn’t dressed to be noticed—plain jeans, a white shirt, her hair tucked into a low bun—but somehow, she still felt exposed. Maybe it was the shelves lined with menstrual pads in front of her, or maybe it was the heavy cloud of stress that had followed her from the office. If there was a way she could discard Pedro's bodyguards outside the mall, she would have. But she couldn't.

She sighed and picked up a familiar purple pack, scanning the back with little interest. It...