She knew.

Hailey learned early how to survive.
An abusive home. A brother she lost too soon. Silence that screamed louder than words.

Guilt that never belonged to her, yet settled deep in her chest. Every day is about getting through the next hour, the next breath, the next night.

Aaliyah is her best friend.
Her safe place.

The girl who makes her laugh when everything hurts. The girl Hailey slowly falls for... without knowing the truth.

Because Aaliyah is hiding something. Playing a role.

Treating love like a game unaware of how deeply it will shatter the one person who trusted her with everything.

Watching it all unfold is Adila, Aaliyah's older sister.

Cold, distant, and sharp-eyed. She sees the damage being done. She sees Hailey breaking.

And she feels something she has no right to feel.