Elegbede_Habeeb

The first time they met, it felt like fate. The second time, it felt like a warning.

She was running from a past that refused to die. He was chasing a future that seemed just out of reach. When their worlds collided, it was more than just love—it was an obsession, a wildfire that threatened to burn them both alive.

But love isn’t always salvation. Sometimes, it’s destruction in disguise.

Bound by Fire: Ashes of Desire

The dim hospital room was quiet except for the steady rhythm of Luca's breathing. Evelyn hadn't let go of his hand since he woke up, but now, in the stillness of the night, the weight of everything was pressing down on her.

Luca had survived the bullet wound, but survival wasn't enough.

Someone had tried to kill him. And whoever it was—they weren't done.

A faint knock at the door startled her. Evelyn tensed, her free hand reaching instinctively for the small knife she always carried in her purse. But when the door opened, it was Julian.

He stepped inside, his usual cocky smirk absent. Instead, his face was grim, eyes darting toward Luca before settling on Evelyn.

"You're not going to like this," he murmured.

Evelyn let go of Luca's hand for the first time in hours and rose from her chair, following Julian into the hallway. The hospital was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that felt unnatural.

"What is it?" she asked, arms crossed.

Julian hesitated before handing her a small slip of paper. "This was left at the nurse's station. No one saw who dropped it off."

Evelyn's fingers tightened around the note as she unfolded it.

You should've let him die. Now it's going to be worse.

Julian ran a hand through his dark hair, his jaw tight. "Whoever did this, they're not just trying to scare us. They're planning something."

Evelyn's mind raced. Luca was still weak, vulnerable. He wasn't in any condition to fight back.

"We need to move him," she said immediately. "This hospital isn't safe."

Julian sighed. "I thought you'd say that. I've already arranged something."

She shot him a look. "You could've told me first."

"Would you have let me finish?" He smirked, but there was no humor in it.

Julian's voice dropped lower. "Safe house, on the outskirts of the city. Only a handful of people know about it."

Evelyn nodded. "We move him tonight."

She turned back toward the room, but Julian caught her wrist. His usual playfulness was gone, replaced with something raw.

Her throat tightened. "There's no other choice."

Julian's expression softened. "I know you love him. But love doesn't stop bullets."

She met his gaze, eyes blazing. "No. But it gives me something to fight for."

Evelyn and Julian prepare to move Luca to a safe house, but danger lurks around every corner. Will they make it out before the enemy strikes again?

Enemies in the Shadows