Isabella’s POV
One month and 2 weeks.
That’s how long I’ve been here—on this island, in this gilded cage, surrounded by ocean and Dante’s suffocating presence. At first, I thought my fury alone would be enough to burn through the bars. But the longer I stayed, the more I realized the mansion had a way of wrapping its arms around you, lulling you into a dangerous rhythm.
I hated that.
And yet… here I was.
Every morning, I still woke up with escape etched into my mind like scripture. The boat schedules. The guards’ rotations. The way the gates closed at night. I studied them all with quiet precision, hiding my observations behind exaggerated yawns or sarcastic remarks.
Dante thought my tantrums were just for show—he had no idea that sometimes, when I snapped at him for being overbeari
