Sophie’s pov
The morning light felt like a betrayal. Sunlight poured through my apartment window, painting the room gold, and yet I felt anything but illuminated. My body ached in all the spaces where pain lingers silently. My mind was restless, replaying every word, every glance, every careful gesture from Cassian the night before.
I had shared my heart, the rawest part of me — my secret, the child I had carried for my mother and my ex-husband. I had forgiven them. I had even wished them happiness. And yet… the ache was alive, persistent, humming beneath my ribs like a second heartbeat.
The coffee I poured trembled in my hands, and I nearly spilled it as my phone vibrated.
A text from Cassian:
“Thinking of you. Don’t forget to breathe.”
I swallowed, a lump forming in my throat. I wa
