𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 a new teacher walks into a classroom she prayed for, a mother watches her family shift beneath her feet, and a man with blood on his hands tries to keep them clean. until feelings get tangled, truths unravel, and love starts showing up in places it shouldn't.

People have spent years turning Zakai into some kind of monster. Scarred by a tragic apartment fire that took place when he was only eleven years old, Zakai has lived most of his life hiding from the world. With rumors surrounding his name and judgment following him everywhere he goes, isolation became safer than being seen. Meanwhile, Kinsley never expected a simple errand job to lead her to him. What starts as grocery store runs and brief interactions slowly becomes something neither of them saw coming. Because beneath Zakai's cold and distant exterior is a man struggling with years of guilt, grief, and loneliness. And the closer Kinsley gets, the harder it becomes to walk away. Some scars never fade, people just teach you how to live with them.

❝ 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙞 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 ❞ 𝘐𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳

" He took a SADISTIC pleasure in tormenting her..."

Detroit has always been the type of city that carries its own unique name with pride. Full of nonstop hustlers who move with dignity, each chasing their own dream. Trevon Gardner is one of them: a rapper finally gaining real attention, trying to turn his talent into the life he's been chasing forever. Xamira Evans is a gifted cosmetologist with her own blueprint, living life to the fullest. Their worlds don't usually collide...until one unexpected moment changes everything. Now they have to face the consequences. Will it bring them together, or tear them apart?

𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌.. ©️𝙽𝙴𝙸𝙰𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙴𝚂𝚂

𝖿𝗎𝖼𝗄 𝗒𝗈 𝗇*𝗀𝗀𝖺 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝖨𝖨. 𝗆𝗒 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗆𝖺𝗒𝖻𝖾 𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝗌𝗈𝗈𝗇.