Bitter Heart

Caden Miller commands attention at Crestmont High—a dangerously attractive bad boy whose sharp wit and mysterious demeanor draw admirers like moths to flame. His reputation precedes him: challenge him and you'll lose, cross him and face his wrath. But beneath the brooding exterior lies a darker truth. As New York City's youngest gang leader, Caden operates with singular focus: salvaging his brother from self-destruction before it's too late. Romance is irrelevant when survival is the mission.

Skylar Anderson lives deliberately small. Caught between distracted parents and her quirky best friend, her world revolves around her beloved cat, decent grades, and uninterrupted sleep. She asks for nothing extraordinary—just a quiet existence where Physics doesn't fail her. Ordinary suits her fine.

Then a mysterious letter arrives.

Everything changes in an instant. Her safe, predictable life shatters, pulling her into a collision course with the one person she should avoid. Caden is chaos incarnate, a walking contradiction of raw magnetism and emotional walls. Yet something about Skylar calls to him in ways he doesn't understand—ways that threaten his carefully constructed isolation.

As they're drawn into each other's orbit, the stakes spiral beyond attraction. Betrayal lurks in unexpected corners, secrets unravel, and the line between protection and destruction blurs dangerously. In a world where Caden leads with violence and Skylar navigates with caution, falling for each other becomes their greatest risk.

"The problem is," he whispered, drawing her closer, "if I kiss you, I don't think I'd be able to stop."