Lenora Amani Buckles was just sixteen when she fell in love with eighteen-year-old Damani Desean Gaulden. Her parents didn't approve of the relationship, but Lenora's heart was set-she refused to let anyone's opinion stop her from being with him. That love was tested early when Damani's past choices caught up with him, landing him in jail with a five-year sentence. The news shattered Lenora. She fell into a deep sadness but still remained loyal. She visited him regularly, made sure he was fed and clothed, and stood by him more than anyone expected from someone so young. But everything changed when she found out he was cheating on her-from behind bars. Hurt and betrayed, Lenora cut ties immediately, deciding she would never again sacrifice herself for someone who wouldn't value her. With time, she healed. She focused on her education, her future, and rebuilding her sense of self. Four years later, now in college and living in a dorm, she had left that chapter behind-or so she thought. In the middle of cleaning her room, her phone lit up with a jail call. She refused to answer. The next morning, another call came. This time, she picked up. Ten seconds of heavy silence passed before she heard her old nickname: "Nora." She hesitated, then quietly replied, "Hello." Damani told her he was being released a year early. She could only respond with a cautious laugh and a doubtful "okay." After everything, she wasn't sure what the future held... But from that moment on-what came next felt like the beginning of a different story. A fairytale, waiting to unfold.

Khysen Bennett grew up in the streets with a father who turned him into a soldier, not a son. Violence was all he knew, and loyalty to his dad, Kion Bennett, was the only way to survive. He never questioned orders, until his father told him to follow Saija Fletcher and take her out. She was supposed to be just another target, watching her, move, and pull the trigger, but the more Khysen watches her, the more he feels something he hadn't felt in forever, and that makes the job impossible. Now he's stuck between the only life he's ever known and the girl who makes him want better. With his anger always one call away from blowing up and his father watching his every move, Khysen has to figure out what's worth more - his loyalty or his heart, but in his world, turning your back on family can get you killed.