Joice Karen

I have recurring dreams about a mysterious man who watches over me as I sleep. But I know he can’t be real—at least, that’s what I thought until today.
I’ve spent my life running with my mother. She always said we couldn’t stay in one place for more than six months. Whenever I asked why, she never gave me an answer.
On my 18th birthday, I decided to apply to university. I thought it was a good way to start adulthood. I should’ve listened to my mother.
The consequence of disobeying her came that same day. The reason we’ve been running all these years was to escape my sadistic, mafia father. His first words to me were: “You showed up at the perfect age to get married. Go get ready to meet your fiancé.”
I had to behave—for the sake of my mother’s safety.
My fiancé was old enough to be my grandfather and looked at me like I was his favorite dessert. But he wasn’t the one who caught my attention. His son did.
Standing beside the man I was promised to… was the man from my dreams, in the flesh—dangerous, tempting, and very real.
All I want now is to find a way to escape, but now that I know he exists, I realize I won’t get very far.