ISABELLA
The first sip of hot chocolate was always the best.
I let the warmth seep through my fingertips as I cradled the ceramic cup, my gaze drifting over the rim to the world outside. The café was cozy, filled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked pastries, a welcome contrast to the cold, lifeless atmosphere of the manor.
For the past week, I had been confined to that house, wrapped in layers of protection I hadn’t asked for. Guards watching my every move. Christian hovering, his concern suffocating. Georgia and Ethan fussing as if I would shatter at the slightest touch.
But here?
Here, I felt normal.
The café was modest, tucked away on a quieter street, away from the constant buzz of the city’s main roads. A few people sat around, either working on their laptops, cha
