(Isabella’s POV)
I woke slowly, cocooned in a cloud of soft linen and a scent that was uniquely Alessandro—sandalwood, expensive cologne, and a faint, masculine musk. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting golden stripes across the bed. For the first time in what felt like a lifetime, I woke not with a jolt of anxiety, but with a deep, bone-deep sense of peace.
I stretched, a lazy, contented movement, and a dull ache in my thighs and a tenderness between my legs served as a delicious reminder of the previous night. A smile touched my lips as I glanced down at my body. My skin was a canvas of his possession, adorned with faint, purplish marks on my neck, collarbone, and the soft skin of my inner thighs. Far from feeling shame, I felt a swell of pride. These were
