The Price of Regret

Introduction.

Scarlett Rhodes had always been drawn to Nick Rivers—the kind of guy every girl in school wanted but could never have. He was charming, confident, and effortlessly magnetic.

To Scarlett, he was the person she never thought she'd get, yet for years, she couldn't help but fall deeper into the fantasy of being with him. The truth, however, was far from the dream she'd built in her head.

Nick, the epitome of a "bad boy," had no interest in giving her the love she deserved. He played with her heart, toying with her feelings while shamelessly flirting with other girls, knowing it would make her jealous. He used her as an emotional pawn, always pulling away just when she got too close.

For years, Scarlett gave him pieces of herself, but he only ever took what he wanted and left her questioning her worth. In the end, it wasn't just her heart that broke—it was her sense of self. She walked away, scarred but determined to never fall for him again.

Years passed, and Scarlett managed to rebuild her life. She found someone who truly cared for her in Miles Hayes, a steady, dependable man who made her feel safe and loved in ways Nick never could. For the first time in her life, Scarlett believed she was finally over her first love, the boy who once made her feel invisible.

But just when she's ready to embrace the future she's worked so hard for, Nick reappears, crashing back into her life with the same arrogant swagger that once stole her heart. Only this time, he's different—genuinely remorseful, desperate to show her he's changed, and willing to fight for a second chance.

But time has passed, and Scarlett has changed. She's not the naive girl she once was, willing to forgive Nick for the way he treated her. As the tension between the past and present grows, Scarlett finds herself torn between the security of a love that has never let her down and the haunting pull of a first love that promises a passionate, unpredictable future. Can she trust Nick after everything he put her through? And is he truly capable of the love he's always claimed to offer?

As the stakes rise, old wounds are reopened, secrets begin to unravel, and the past threatens to repeat itself. Scarlett must grapple with her own desires, her anger, and the undeniable chemistry that still exists between her and Nick. And when life throws a twist neither of them could anticipate, both will have to confront the consequences of their actions—no matter the cost.

In The Price of Regret, love isn't easy, forgiveness is hard-earned, and sometimes the price of a second chance is more than anyone can afford. Will Scarlett's heart ever heal from the scars Nick left behind, or will the power of first love prove impossible to resist?