~YULIA

I froze in my tracks as I registered the man who was supposed to be my uncle— before me.

Seeing Issa shirtless, wet with sweat— was the last thing I had expected.

The emotions in his eyes resembled that of a broken man. It was as if a violent storm was raging within them. They were fixed onto mine in such a way that made my intake of breath unsteady.

Suddenly, he took a step toward me and I instinctively backed away. He picked up his pace with an urgency that made me question ...