The apartment was quiet by the time Gigi got home, the kind of stillness that felt heavy after the noise of an evening out. New York was still alive outside—the muted rush of traffic, the occasional horn blaring in the distance, the low hum of life that never really went to sleep in the city—but inside, her world seemed cocooned. Isabella had already gone to bed, her shoes abandoned by the door and her coat draped haphazardly across the chair. Gigi smiled faintly at the sight; Isabella always claimed she was “the neat one,” but nights like these proved otherwise.
She set her clutch down on the counter, kicked off her heels, and padded toward the living room. The city skyline stretched out beyond the large windows, silver and gold lights flickering like stars, and for a moment, she just st
