Isla Reed

Intro Maya Clark moved through life like a shadow, always aware of her surroundings, always ready to disappear if the need arose. Her sandy blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun, a quiet shield from the world, while her gray-blue eyes—cold and distant—revealed little. Trust was a luxury she couldn’t afford. She had learned to keep to herself, to stay small, to blend in. Her real name was Isla Reed, but that felt like someone else now, someone from a life she no longer recognized. Isla Reed was a person who had loved too deeply, who had trusted too easily, and who had been burned by both. She had been forced to shed that name, that identity, the moment she stepped into a new life, a new town, and adopted the simple anonymity of Maya Clark. As Maya, she kept her distance from others, making sure no one could get close enough to ask the questions she feared. Her ex’s anger was a constant threat, lurking in every corner, waiting to catch up with her. She had learned the hard way that safety was always temporary, always fragile. Despite the fear that gnawed at her, she survived. She adapted. Maya Clark was a name she knew how to protect, a persona she could hide behind when the walls started to close in. But even Maya couldn’t completely bury the quiet hope that lingered beneath the surface—the hope that maybe, just maybe, she could find a place to stay. A place to stop running.