Prologue
The city of Portland was a canvas of muted grays, the drizzle painting everything in a shroud of melancholy. The streets, though bustling with life, seemed distant and removed, as if the world was holding its breath. In a small, second-floor apartment nestled above a quaint bookstore, Sarah Lane sat by the window, her fingers lightly tracing patterns on the glass. Her gaze drifted to the raindrops racing down the pane, but her mind was elsewhere, tangled in a web of memories and emotions.
The soft strains of a piano piece she had composed years ago floated through the room, filling the silence with a haunting beauty. Music had always been her refuge, a place where she could pour out her soul without fear of judgment. But tonight, the notes felt like they were mocking her, a reminder of everything she had lost.
Her thoughts wandered to the man who had entered her life so unexpectedly, turning her world upside down. Love had crept in quietly, like a thief in the night, and before she knew it, her heart was no longer her own. But now, as she sat alone in the dimly lit room, she couldn't help but wonder: Had it all been for nothing? Would there ever be a happy ending for her?
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]]