The morning sun had barely crested the horizon when Sophie woke up. The villa was still cloaked in a soft, sleepy haze, the pale light filtering through the sheer curtains in gentle beams. She lay still for a moment, basking in the comfort of the sheets wrapped around her. The faint scent of Luca’s cologne lingered in the air, mingling with the natural, earthy aroma of the old stone walls.
For a second, it felt like nothing had changed. As if she were still the same woman who had arrived in Cinque Aria weeks ago, unsure of everything, holding her heart behind thick walls. But then, as the events of the past few days rushed back to her, the truth settled deep inside her—things had changed.
She had changed.
Her eyes flickered toward the empty side of the bed. The space where
