When Love Comes Late by PASSION

Her heart sank like a stone.

She crumpled to the floor, hugging her knees, tears pouring out.

After a bit, she mustered the strength to dial her older brother, Karson Padilla.

“Karson, something’s up with Mom…”

Her voice raspy, she struggled to get the words out, but all she got back was a cacophony of noise.

Finally, Karson’s impatient voice pierced through, booming, “Who’s this? I can’t talk now, busy!”

Devyn caught wind of the chatter on his end, betting odds being tossed around.

Her eyes widened, frustration boiling over.

“Karson! How… how could you gamble again?”

She’d hoped he’d learned his lesson after all those tough times.

But she never imagined that with their mom still fighting in the ICU, Karson would hit the tables again.

realizing it was Devyn, burst

to be different; we’ll

voice, frenzied like a junkie chasing a high,

tinged with madness, filled the air, leaving Devyn’s heart in freefall,

was on the edge

you lost it? When will you quit relying on gambling to fix things? Haven’t you learned from past mistakes? Do you have to push it till you crash? Keep going till you ruin

the same old

at her phone in disbelief,

it so tight, she

a while, her emotions settled

Maureen, pale in the ICU, determination in her

she had

pulled out a USB flash drive

snagged a bunch of data from Stella’s computer earlier, including some of

time to

designs, she could tackle

later, Nikolai forwarded Devyn’s latest

studying it, Matthew couldn’t