Erika Alagba

When a desperate bargain to save her mother's life puts a struggling student in the orbit of the one man cold enough to make the offer - and dangerous enough to make her want to accept it - survival was never supposed to feel like this. Gloria Stevens doesn't believe in rescue. She believes in rent due dates, hospital bills, and the quiet math of what she can and can't afford. When her mother's diagnosis turns into an emergency she has no way to pay for, Gloria is left with exactly one option - and it isn't the kind you're supposed to say yes to.
That option has a name: Vincent. Powerful, controlled, and used to buying whatever he wants, including, apparently, her. Gloria expects a transaction. What she doesn't expect is a man who watches her like she's more than the terms of their arrangement - or how fast the line between bought and chosen starts to blur. As their arrangement pulls them closer than either of them planned for, Gloria has to face the one thing scarier than losing everything: the possibility of being truly seen, by the one person who was never supposed to matter.
Because some nights don't just cost you something. They show you exactly who you are when you have nothing left to lose - and who might just be worth staying broken open for.