Back in my room, I headed to the shower, letting the warm water cascade over me, washing away the sweat and, metaphorically at least, the complexities of the day. It was a brief respite, a momentary sanctuary from the maelstrom of thoughts and emotions that had been swirling within.

As the water coursed over me, I resolved to regain my focus. Ellie might be an unexpected entanglement, a distraction unlike any other, but I was still Alex, still the master of my fate. Whatever lay ...