The honeymoon was over.
I should have felt relieved.
I should have felt like I could finally breathe, now that we were back in the manor, surrounded by Christian’s family, back in a world where stolen glances and almost-kisses weren’t lingering in the air.
But as I stood in the grand hallway, the high ceilings stretching above me, the distant echoes of chatter from Christian’s relatives filling the space, it still felt too quiet.
Christian had left early for work.
No teasing smirk. No flirtatious comments over breakfast. Just a short, “I’ll be home late,” before kissing Nova’s forehead and walking out the door.
And then he was gone.
It was strange.
I had spent so much time hating him, resenting him—even before our divorce, I had felt like nothing more than a shadow in his life.
Bu
