˗ˏˋ𓆩†𓆪ˊˎ˗ Avery Winchester used to be a force of light-radiant, full of laughter, the kind of child who made the world feel warmer. But when her mother lost her battle with cancer, that light faded. Left with a father who saw her more as a burden than a daughter, she learned to cope the only way she could-by talking. Not because she was happy, but because silence was too heavy. Words became her shield, a way to fill the emptiness, to keep herself from drowning in the things she didn't want to feel. Nicholas Grey is known for his icy demeanor. As the FBI's most relentless agent, his sharp gaze and gruff attitude kept everyone at arm's length. But beneath that cold exterior was a man haunted by shadows he refused to confront. Yet, around Avery, his walls began to crack. Why couldn't he treat her with the same indifference he showed everyone else? What was it about her that stirred something he thought he'd buried long ago? ⁎⌌‧·‧̩̥˟*̥✧*̥˟‧̩̥·‧⌍⁎ When their worlds collide on a beach at sunset, both searching for solace they can't seem to find, will they be the ones to heal each other's wounds? Or will their guarded hearts keep them apart?