The house felt different.
Rose noticed it the moment she stepped through the door the next morning, her steps echoing too loudly in the vast silence. The air, once filled with Ella’s giggles and the quiet hum of comfort, now pressed against her like a weight. Every corner of the luxurious space seemed colder.
Christian was there physically but it was like standing beside a locked door, one she no longer had the key to. He offered no greeting, no glance, not even a flicker of acknowledgment. Just silence. Heavy, stifling silence.
She tried to keep her movements steady as she set down her bag and removed her coat. But her hands trembled.
She had thought coming back after a weekend away might clear the air. Give them both a chance to breathe, to think. But instead, it had only stretched
