ISABELLA
The terrace was silent except for the whisper of the wind rustling through the trees. I stood there, arms wrapped around myself, staring out at the vast estate bathed in moonlight. The cold seeped through my thin robe, but I barely felt it. The night was too still, too quiet, as if holding its breath.
Something felt wrong.
I had stepped outside to clear my head, hoping the fresh air would settle the unease in my chest. The past few weeks had been overwhelming—returning to the manor, adjusting to life under the same roof as Christian again, navigating the delicate balance of our complicated relationship. It was exhausting.
But this… this feeling creeping over me wasn’t the usual anxiety that came with being near him.
This was something else entirely.
A shiver ran down my spi
