Jayda moved to Houston for a fresh start quiet, neurodivergent, and completely new to a fresh life. When her cooking video catches the attention of Roman, a wealthy single father with a dangerous lifestyle, she takes a job as his private chef. What begins as a simple arrangement turns into something deeper super fast. For the first time, Jayda feels truly seen. But does falling for Roman come with risks? Sometimes the right person teaches you how to love... and how to be loved.

SEQUEL TO LIES YOU TELL After Graces world comes crashing down around her, she struggles to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and mend her shattered perception of life upon learning that the man she grew to love more than life itself was a cold and remorseless murderer. Landing the position as a criminologist on the NYPD homicide squad, she works hard to rebuild a new life for herself and leave the past in the past. After waiting four long years, Joseph finally gets put on a highly publicized trial and with the help of a well known criminal defense lawyer, the jury reaches a verdict that rocks the city of New York. During those four years being incarcerated, Joseph is forced to let go of the love of his life but upon his release their paths inevitably cross and now he has to fight for and work to earn her love and trust back. To do so, Joseph finally opens up to Grace about his dark past but opens up a can of worms in the process. Grace learns about history of her own family and uncovers dark secrets not even her mother knows which puts her in danger. In a dark twist of faith, Joseph learns who the true enemy is. Will Grace and Joseph finally get their happily ever after? Smoke and mirrors- the obscuring of the truth of a situation with misleading information. DISCLAIMER: This story is a work of pure fiction. Story has no association to photos in the story used to depict the characters in real life. Dec 2021

"I don't wanna be just a memory And I don't wanna feel your wings break free Because without you I'm lost in the breeze I gotta be strong now, I gotta show you how I'll love you like I've never, ever loved somebody I'll give you things you didn't even know you wanted Don't tell me that it's not enough My time is up, you're over us 'Cause I think I might do anything for you If you just let me ... " - Sinead Harnett

Reentry Case 007: Male, 37, assault with intent to kill, parole conditions strict. Not to be left alone with female staff.

"I made the decision to cheat on my wife because I liked the way you made me feel vulnerable and comfortable enough to open up to you the night before it happened. I ain't never did shit like that before and that's what made it easy for me to choose to risk everything I got for you." "That shit probably not a big deal to you but a nigga like me ain't never opened up to nobody but my best friend-and still..that's rare. I hate even talking about her with you but I don't even feel comfortable talking to Ariana about my feelings 'cause I know she gon' judge me. You don't make me feel like that."

Kason "Khotic" Brewster never planned on living long. At seventeen, he buried both of his parents in the same week. His mother died instantly in a car crash. His father held on just long enough to make Kason promise one thing before he passed. Take care of your brother and sister. So that's exactly what he did. Twelve years later Khotic is the man the streets call when things get ugly. Feared. Respected. Untouchable. Everything he does is for the two people depending on him to make it out of the life he's stuck in. He's content with that. Until Beauty Cardwell crashes into his world. Bee is nothing like the women Khotic usually deals with. She's a twenty-five-year-old brain surgeon, a child prodigy who finished school before most people finished learning who they were. She's blunt, literal, and socially awkward in ways people don't always understand. Diagnosed with high-functioning autism, Bee doesn't believe in pretending to be something she's not. She says exactly what she means. And for some reason... Khotic likes that. What starts as a chance meeting turns into something neither of them expected. Bee sees the man behind Khotic's reputation. The older brother trying to keep his promise. The boy who never got the chance to grieve. And Khotic sees something in Bee that the world keeps missing. But loving a man like Khotic means stepping into a life Bee was never meant to be part of. Enemies. Loyalty. Violence. The kind of danger that doesn't care how smart you are. And Khotic knows one thing for sure. Good girls like Beauty Cardwell aren't supposed to fall for men like him.

She's accidentally given his hotel room to stay in...when he confronts her he instantly recognises her beautiful face. This one moment would be the beginning of their love story...

"You no tell this girl that I said, I want no relations with a darkie?" She spat to me, making my eyes go wide. What? I thought to myself and Gio tried pulling me away but I snatched away from him, knowing I heard right this time. "Wait, what?" I spoke out loud and Gi grabbed me roughly, trying to pull me away again. "Why you saying these things? She's beautiful." I heard his abuelita sticking up for me as she stood to her feet and all the guys began to as well, telling their mom that she was wrong for what she was doing. "That puta heard me." She spat, pointing her finger at me. "You're too dark." She held up a brown paper bag that she was drinking her beer out of. "You no match this bag or lighter, you're too dark." "You look too much like his father. I no want you around me." She shooed me off, instantly breaking my heart into a billion pieces as I looked up at Giovanni who was looking down at me with hurt in his eyes. "Baby, please." He begged and I shook my head at him in disgust before putting my attention back onto her. "Get that darkness out of here, Giovanni. She's a demon." "Only demons have her color." She kept on going and I felt sick to my stomach in this moment as I stood there in complete shock.

"I know I should've talked to you about it but I-" I started but stopped, looking down at my feet again. I had no excuse. The only thing on my mind was graduating, I never put his feelings into perspective. "Dominic, I'm sorry. I was being selfish and only thinking of myself but baby, I promise if you give me another chance.." I trailed off, breathing heavily. "..if you give us another chance, I'll never do it again. I promise." I tried to grab his face but he roughly pulled away from me. "Don't touch me." He spoke sternly, breaking me even more. "Look.." He trailed off, looking away again. "Me and you..we're done." He spoke, finally looking down at me. "Dominic." I pleaded. "Don't say that. Please." "Na', this shit is over, T." He went on and I began to sob.

After a traumatic event, Asia is saved by a woman who is a "dancer" at Suga. Desperate for a way off the dangerous streets of Atlanta and a place to sleep rather than her car, she goes to see if she could make money for her dormant dance talent, but is surprised by who the owner is. (𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐃 : 𝐒𝐡𝐮•𝐆𝐮𝐡) 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊-𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃.