"Detective Graves?" A voice, annoyingly cheerful, breaks the silence.
I look up, and there he is - Theon Donovan. I've seen his byline enough times to know he's a journalist with a reputation for getting under people's skin. He's smiling, as if he doesn't notice the dark circles under my eyes or the tension in my shoulders. Great.
"Donovan" I acknowledge briefly, not bothering to hide my annoyance. "What do you want?"
"I heard about the disappearances," he says, stepping into my office uninvited. "I think I can help."
I raise an eyebrow. "Help? How exactly do you think you can help, Mr. Donovan?"
He sits down without waiting for an invitation, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. "I have sources, Detective. People who talk to me won't necessarily talk to you. Plus, I have a skill for finding stories that others miss."
"Fine," I say reluctantly. "But you follow my lead. And if you get in my way, you're out. Understood?"
He grins, a flash of white teeth. "Understood, Detective. Let's catch some bad guys."
πππππππ : 06/12/2024
π΅πππππππ :
As Claire aims to leave her oppressive stepfamily behind, she befriends Zion. Will he be her ticket to freedom or a distraction in achieving her dreams?
*****
Claire Olsen has had a crush on Zion Petrakis since the first time she laid eyes on him, but he never noticed, instead only having eyes on the school's it girl, Maddie Jennings. Knowing she couldn't compete with Maddie, Claire hid her feelings for Zion, satisfied with admiring him from afar. However, when a series of events led Claire closer to Zion, her feelings for him grew from infatuation to love. And despite fighting hard to keep her feelings contained by distancing herself from Zion, he was determined to show her that he's earned a spot in her life.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]