Fated Series. Book #2 "Be possessive of me, own me, keep me, because if you do then nothing and no one else can." - Maddox. My name is Maddox Vallero, and I'm dead. Well, that's not quite true. I'm alive in the breathing, walking, talking sense-but that's about where it ends. The ghosts in my head remind me daily that I'm just a shell. Physically present, mentally shattered. For years, I've let time slip past, ticking away like I'm still trapped in that coffin, six feet under, slowly losing pieces of myself. I gave up long before I even opened my eyes this morning. So when you see me smiling, promising you the world, it's all a lie. And you'll believe it, because I'm that good. Lying, cheating, tricking-it's my game. I'm a master at making you trust in the illusion, even as I turn around and steal everything back. But somewhere along the line, I tricked myself. Now, I don't know where my lies end and the truth begins. My sanity's as fragile as the mask I wear. Then she walked in. The executive assistant I was forced to hire-a woman who sees straight through me. I lie, and she calls me on it. I grin, and she tells me to drop the act. She's the one person who refuses to fall for my games, who somehow slips past every defense I've ever built. And with her, I'm starting to see the shadows I live among. Sounds simple? It's not. Life has its own twisted sense of humor, and fate is a cunning fox that delights in making things messy. I want her, but I've got attachment issues that could bury us both. She wants me, but her commitment issues make her run every time. And together, we're tangled in pasts that haunt us, presents that hurt, and futures that we're terrified to face. This is the story of what happens when two broken people collide, each one daring the other to start taking risks.

Loneliness is nothing new to Elena Kinsley. She had to grow up pretty quickly when her dad left her to work abroad, and she's taken care of herself from an unreasonably young age. Her only constant goal was success. Safe to say it didn't leave much time for fun, let alone relationships. In the summer before Senior year, Elena receives a job offer. Babysitting for a rich family in her city. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right? Wrong. It's not until her first day does she realise that the family belongs to Parker Ashford, Preston High School's golden boy. Parker is hot, stubborn, arrogant, and Elena can't help but be drawn to him, no matter how hard they both try to resist.