“I had enough when they tried to use me for their own gain,” he continued. “So, at thirteen, I ran away.” He took a slow breath, tried to steady himself. “I survived the only way I could.”

Something tightened in Sarah’s chest. She knew that kind of pain—the loneliness, the fight to survive, the cruelty of the world.

“I made women fall for me,” he admitted, his voice quieter now, almost hesitant. “Some gave me money just to spend time with them. Some wanted to marry me. I ...