For the first time in what felt like forever, there were no alarms.
No shadows.
No threats lurking in the corners of Isabella Vicks’s mind.
And yet… the silence was louder than anything she had ever experienced.
The morning sun poured gently into Damien Hayes’s penthouse, casting a golden glow across the room. Isabella stirred slightly beneath the soft sheets, her eyes fluttering open as she adjusted to the unfamiliar peace.
She lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, listening.
Nothing.
No urgency. No fear. No racing heartbeat.
Just calm.
And somehow… that scared her more than the chaos ever had.
She turned her head slightly and found Damien beside her, already awake, watching her with a quiet intensity that made her breath hitch.
“You’re staring,” she murmured softly,
