𝘈 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘐 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮, 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨...

Years ago, I lost him.

I was young, reckless, and stupid enough to think love would wait. But Bill Carson had dreams bigger than me, and I was too scared to reach for something real. So I walked away.

Now, I'm lost in Mardi Gras—draped in silk, drowning in champagne, and playing pretend with people who don't really see me. Until a man in a black mask stops me cold.

One glance. One knowing smirk.

And then he speaks... and I know.

It's him.

But he's not the college boy I left behind. Bill is powerful now—rich in ways I can't even fathom. The kind of man who commands a room without trying. The kind of man I have no business wanting.

I should walk away again.

But then he kisses me... and suddenly, I can't remember a single reason why I should.

I tell myself it's just one night. Just a stolen moment in the chaos of Mardi Gras. But the more time I spend in his arms, the more I realize I was a fool to let him go.

Because this time, he's not the one who's leaving.

𝘐 𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦... 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐'𝘮 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮.