Celine POV
As the conversation drifts, the tension in the room eases further. The morning sun creeps higher, casting soft, golden light across the room’s stone walls and wooden floors. The faint sounds of birdsong filter through the window, mingling with the quiet comfort of Sebastian’s presence. For the first time in a long while, I feel like I can breathe.
The moment realization strikes, panic grips me, and my chest tightens as though an invisible weight is pressing down on me. My breaths come in short gasps, my vision blurs, and my thoughts spiral uncontrollably. How did I not think of this? How did I not consider it? The walls of the room, warm and inviting only moments ago, now feel suffocating, their heavy stone seeming to close in around me.
Sebastian’s hands gently cradle my fac
