Adriano

I sat alone in my office, staring at the ceiling. My heart wouldn’t stop racing. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Azalea’s smile.

I remembered how peaceful I felt when she was close to me. How badly I wanted to protect both her and Amira from all the darkness in my world.

This feeling was new. Scary. I had never felt this way about any woman before.

The truth was scary. My whole life, I had built thick walls around my heart. I told myself that love was a weakness. Love was a pain. Love was what destroyed my mother and drove her to her death.

But...