ISABELLA
After lunch, I escaped back to the bedroom.
The mansion was beautiful, yes — but it was also overwhelming. Too many eyes. Too many guards. Too many reminders that my life had changed in ways I still hadn’t fully processed.
I tried watching TV, flipping through channels without really seeing anything. News. Cooking shows. A telenovela with dramatic music and even more dramatic slaps. Nothing held my attention.
After ten minutes, I gave up.
I grabbed my laptop and stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the pool. The afternoon sun shimmered across the water, casting ripples of light onto the stone tiles. The air was warm, the breeze soft, and for a moment, I could almost pretend I wasn’t living inside a fortress.
I curled up on the lounge chair and opened my browser.
I didn’
