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Synopsis:
Rea Jones has always felt like a ghost in crowded rooms. Suffering from enclophobia—the fear of crowds—she dreads her first day at a new school, where the hallways are a maze of unfamiliar faces and suffocating noise. She’s convinced she’ll be invisible, just as she’s always been.

But then she meets Milo Carter, the easygoing artist who sees past her silence, and Elena Vasquez, the fierce and loyal girl who refuses to let Rea hide forever. Slowly, they draw her out of her shell, showing her that friendships aren’t as terrifying as she thought.

Just when Rea starts to believe she belongs, she makes the one mistake she swore she never would—falling for Aster Westwood, the school’s golden boy with a rebellious streak and a secret of his own. He’s everything she should avoid, tangled in drama she wants no part of, but something about him makes her feel alive in a way she never has before.

As Rea learns to navigate love, fear, and the overwhelming world around her, she must face the question she’s been running from all her life—will she let fear define her, or will she finally step out of the shadows?

Aster's smirk didn't fade, but his grip on his knife tightened. "Who's the target?"


Jaxon exhaled, glancing over his shoulder like he expected someone to be listening in. "I don't have all the details yet, but it's someone important to Collaway's operation. He wants them taken out before they can expose something—something big."


Rea crossed her arms. "And you think we should get to them first?"


Jaxon met her gaze. "Unless you want another body on Collaway's list."


Aster leaned against the doorframe. "So, you're telling us Collaway's got a high-value target, and instead of handling it yourself, you want our help?"


Jaxon scowled. "I told you, he's already suspicious of me. If I make a wrong move, I'm dead."


Aster studied him for a long moment. Jaxon was tense, his hands curled into fists at his sides, but there was something else too—something Aster hadn't seen before.


Rea seemed to notice it too. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Where is this person being held?"


Jaxon's jaw tightened. "An old industrial site on the east side of town. Underground facility. Guarded, but not impossible to break into."


Jaxon gave him a sharp look. "Don't be cocky. We're outnumbered."


Aster shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."


Rea rubbed her temples. "Alright, let's say we do this. What's the plan?"


Jaxon hesitated. "We don't have time for a perfect plan. We go in, take out the guards, grab the target, and get out before reinforcements arrive."


Then Aster pushed off the doorframe. "Fine."


Aster twirled the knife in his hand. "You need me. And honestly? I could use a good fight."


Rea exhaled. "You already know the answer to that."


Jaxon gave a small nod. "Then get ready. We move in an hour."


Aster grinned. "This is going to be fun."


Chapter 51 - Chapter 51