Morning came slowly, like the house itself was still deciding whether to wake or stay wrapped in silence. Soft light filtered through the curtains in Isabella’s room, touching the edges of the bed and creeping gently across the floor.
She sat up, her mind clearer than it had been the night before, though her heart still carried the weight of too many thoughts. For a while, she remained there, staring ahead, remembering everything. The hospital. The fear. Gabriel. The way he had held her without even knowing she was awake.
She placed her hand lightly over her chest.
“Get yourself together,” she murmured.
This was not the time to feel weak.
With a quiet breath, she got out of bed and walked into the bathroom.
The shower water ran warm over her skin, washing away the tension that had cl
