Isabella’s POV
The evening air was cool, crisp, and utterly perfect. A gentle breeze carried the scent of pine and damp earth, rustling the curtains as I stepped onto the balcony, my lips curling into a satisfied smirk. Everything was falling into place. Every carefully laid seed of doubt was taking root, twisting around Ivy and Leo’s fragile bond like vines squeezing the life out of a tree.
I wrapped my arms around myself, savoring the tension I had orchestrated between them. The weight of my victory settled over me like a warm cloak.
Ivy looked like a ghost of herself, broken and riddled with guilt, while Leo—well, Leo was still too soft toward her for my liking. That part irked me, but it wouldn’t last. Not with what I had in store.
I traced the rim of my glass, the cool cond
