About

At twenty-three, Harper Bennett had built a quiet life for herself in Manhattan. She rented a stylish apartment in The Eugene in Hudson Yards, where floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city that never seemed to sleep. By day, she worked as a talented beautician at one of SoHo's most sought-after luxury salons, spending her hours helping clients feel beautiful while slowly rebuilding her own life. Three years earlier, at twenty, she'd fallen deeply in love with Jake Collins, then twenty-four. In the beginning, Jake was everything she'd ever wanted—protective, affectionate, effortlessly charming, and the kind of man who made everyone in the room gravitate toward him. Tall, broad-shouldered, with an easy smile and unmistakable boyish charm, he made Harper feel like the only person in the world. But as time passed, his love became possessive. Concern turned into constant check-ins, protectiveness became control, and every disagreement ended with Jake convincing himself that losing Harper simply wasn't an option. When Harper finally ended the relationship, Jake took it harder than anyone expected. Since then, he had shown up every few months with flowers, handwritten letters, late-night voicemails, and promises that he had changed. He always sounded sincere. He always looked different. But beneath the apologies, nothing truly had. Three years later, at twenty-seven, Jake still couldn't let go. Harper had spent years trying to move forward, while Jake spent those same years believing that no matter how long it took, she'd eventually come back to him.