80

Gabriella's POV

The soft morning light hadn’t yet fully filled the room when I awoke to an unsettling quiet. Giovanni's side of the bed was empty, a fact that tugged at my unease. Slipping out of bed, I padded softly down the hallway towards the kitchen, drawn by faint sounds that shouldn’t have been there at this hour.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee grew stronger as I approached, mixed with the low hum of conversation. Pausing at the doorway, my heart squeezed painfully. There was Giovanni, his back to me, pouring coffee into two cups. Beside him stood Mia, exuding an effortless elegance that seemed out of place in the early morning. Her laughter, light and intimate, floated across the room, and it struck a nerve. That was a laugh I had never heard directed at anyone but me.

“Good morning,” I announced my presence, not able to keep the ice out of my voice. They both turned, Giovanni with a flicker of surprise that quickly smoothed into a practiced smile.

“Gabriella, you’re up ea