Stand Still

Nestled in a picturesque, sun-kissed enclave near Portugal’s Algarve coast, she lives in the charm of mischief and mountains over the hustle of lecture halls and city lights. But when a single midnight knock shatters the illusion of her hidden identity, she’s forced to flee under the cloak of darkness with a promise echoing in her ears: don’t look back. Fifteen years later, an Interpol golden boy lands in Lisbon with a cover story and an assignment that should be simple: observe, report, don’t get attached. Drew has traded headlines for shadows, embedding himself in the sleek glass corridors of Cubicone—a powerhouse research hub in Coimbra—where secrets move faster than data. Until their paths cross. A stolen breath in a lift. A laughter-laced first date that ends with a kiss she swears can never happen again. But when fragments of her past life surface, Drew realizes the enigma he needs to unravel is the woman he can’t resist. Set across the Portuguese landscape, Stand Still is a high-octane, slow-burning romantic thriller about the lies we inherit, and the families we choose, when running is no longer an option.