Nyomi is hired by a mutual friend to help Khaiem expand his art lounge into a lifestyle brand. She plans to keep things professional-especially since she's still healing from a controlling ex who almost ruined her career. But Khaiem's creative, confident energy disarms her, and he's intrigued by her quiet power. What starts as creative brainstorming sessions at midnight turns into heated arguments, laughter, and stolen touches. But when her ex reappears, and Khaiem's old trust issues resurface, they'll have to choose if love is worth risking their carefully rebuilt lives.

Niah Monroe, a 26-year-old ambitious woman working her way through grad school, has always kept her life on the straight and narrow. She's loyal to her best friend, and she avoids men who could derail her goals. But then enters Khalil "Khaos" Mercer, 32, her best friend's older brother-fresh out after serving time, running the family's underground hustle, and building an empire of his own. He's dark, dangerous, and the one man she's never allowed herself to want. When circumstances force them together-him needing her brain and discipline to clean up his business moves, her needing his protection after a brush with street danger-the forbidden attraction between them sparks into a full-blown, undeniable passion.

Zharai Monét Kevelle and Kaelvion Rhys Montel have been in each other's space for years-she's the loud, funny girl who always has a comeback, and he's the quiet, too-cool type that everybody assumes doesn't laugh. They aren't official. They're not even "talking"... but they can't stay out of each other's way. Every time they link, Zha-Zha teases him-about his waves, his serious face, his music, his "grandpa glasses." What starts as playful arguments slowly turns into them catching real feelings. But Kael moves low-key and doesn't give his heart easily, while Zha-Zha is scared of loving someone who might break her like her past dudes. The question is... will they both stop playing before it's too late?

"Tell me you don't feel it. Tell me I'm imagining this, and I'll never bring it up again." He looked at her for a long moment, and she could see him fighting himself. "I can't tell you that," he said finally. "Why not?" "Because it would be a lie." -- Naomi "Nay" Shields is a 24-year-old lifestyle YouTuber with over a million followers, known for her beauty, travel vlogs, and "perfect" relationship with longtime boyfriend Messiah "Si" Banks. On camera, they're couple goals. Off camera, she's just surviving him. Messiah is a flashy, manipulative drug dealer in Atlanta-respected in the streets, but emotionally abusive behind closed doors. After cheating multiple times, he traps Nay further with a viral public proposal in Tulum. Now, she feels stuck-scared to leave the brand they built and scared of him. But everything shifts when Messiah's older half-brother, Zyair "Zy" Banks, returns home from a four-year federal bid. He's the opposite of Messiah-quiet, gritty, observant. And he sees right through Nay's pain. When Messiah gets shot in a setup and ends up bedridden, Zy moves in to "keep things in order." As tension brews and the house grows quiet, stolen glances turn into whispers... into touches... into something neither of them planned. What happens when love grows in the shadow of abuse? When the one man who sees you is the one you should never want? And what happens when Messiah finds out? 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝- 06.28.25 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝- 07.09.25 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝- 08.20.25

/ˌserənˈdipədē/ (n.) To find something good without looking for it "they annoying," I said quietly. He leaned on the counter beside me, close enough I could feel his shoulder. "yeah," he murmured, eyes soft. "but I'm only here for you anyway."

"𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲, 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐠 𝐝𝐨 𝐈'𝐈𝐈 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐨 (𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐧) 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐲𝐝𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐇𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐧 '𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡, 𝐈 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐇𝐮𝐡, 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧' 𝐖𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧', 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧' 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐩, 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲, 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮"

"𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞, 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫." -𝒥𝒽ℯ𝓃ℯ́ 𝒜𝒾𝓀ℴ

"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧."

Delete the old version of me in your head please, I'm not her anymore.

"I wonder who gon' ride for me if it go down" (Just read) @𝙾𝙲𝚃.𝟷𝟼.𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟶