Isabella’s POV
The hallway alcove still smelled like Charlie’s cologne and the faint trace of our desperate encounter. My legs were still shaky as I straightened my dress, trying to ignore the slickness between my thighs and the fresh marks he’d left on my neck. Charlie had already disappeared down the corridor without a backward glance, leaving me to pull myself together like always.
I needed air. Space. Anything but these suffocating walls that seemed to close in tighter every day.
I slipped toward the servants’ entrance near the kitchen, hoping for a quiet moment in the garden. But as I passed the open doorway, I froze at the sound of hushed voices.
Two maids were whispering urgently while polishing silver.
“…heard from the driver this morning. Evelyn Reed is back in the States. La
