On the surface, Riley Jennings has the perfect life. She's top of her class, destined for the Ivy League, and has her entire future mapped out. To everyone else, she's the girl who has it all. But behind closed doors, her world is anything but perfect. Her golden-boy boyfriend, Blake, the school's star football player, hides a darkness no one else sees. Beneath his charming smile lies a monster-one who controls her every move, dictates her every choice, and ensures she never steps out of line. Trapped in a cycle of fear and forced perfection, Riley believes there's no escape.Until Dean Marks walks into her life.The rebellious new transfer student with a devil-may-care attitude and a past he refuses to talk about, Dean sees right through Riley's carefully constructed fa ade. He knows what she's hiding-because he's hiding something too. A secret so dangerous that even his fiercely protective older brother, Alex, has spent years trying to keep it buried. But some pasts refuse to stay forgotten.As Riley and Dean grow closer, they become each other's lifeline. He gives her the strength to break free, and she makes him believe that maybe, just maybe, he's worth saving too. But running from their pasts won't be easy-because no matter how fast they run, the past has a way of catching up. And when it does, it threatens to destroy them both.Secrets. Lies. Love. Betrayal.They thought they could escape. They thought they could outrun the pain.They were wrong.A gripping, heart-stopping story about love, survival, and the power of finding the courage to fight back.Will they escape their pasts, or will their pasts consume them?
