A New Spark

The city morning was fresh and bright, the kind of morning that almost tricked you into believing life could be simple again. Ayisha laced up her sneakers, stretched by the gate, and slipped her earbuds in. Running was her therapy, each pounding step on the pavement drowned out the noise of courts, lawsuits, betrayals, and Bianca’s venom.

She started slow, her breath syncing with the rhythm of her playlist. The tree lined path curved along the park, golden light spilling through ...