The silence was deafening.A velvet hush draped over Blackwell Manor as the night ticked toward dawn, but Isabella was wide awake. The fire from the hours before still burned low in her bones—his touch, his mouth, the way he had unraveled her layer by layer like silk. She hadn’t meant to surrender. Not to the cold man with the ice-rimmed eyes. Not to the stranger she had vowed to hate.And yet, here she was.Lying in a bed that wasn’t hers.Wrapped in a marriage that wasn’t love.Naked, save for the ache in her body and the wedding dress half-draped over the edge of the bed like a ghost of what she’d once believed she wanted.Sebastian slept soundly beside her, a sculpted silhouette against the pale sheets. His chest rose and fell in perfect rhythm—so calm, so unbothered, as if he hadn’t just set her world on fire.But Isabella couldn’t sleep.Her heart was a war drum inside her chest. And her thoughts? A storm. Her body still tingled, still ached from what they’d done, but the shame
The rain came down in sheets—icy, merciless—as Isabella stood beneath the flickering light of an old payphone on 39th Street. Her wedding dress clung to her like wet silk, heavy with regret. Her bare feet were numb against the cracked concrete. The line went dead.She stood there, shivering in her soaked silk and secrets, trying not to fall apart. Her lips still tingled with Sebastian’s kiss. Her thighs ached with the ghost of his hands. Her heart screamed with confusion.She could barely feel her fingers as she punched in the number from memory—one she swore she’d forget, and never could.The line clicked.A pause.Then: “Isabella?”His voice was rough. Sleep-drugged. Confused. Still heartbreakingly familiar.She swallowed hard. “Luca…”A beat of silence. Then sharper, faster—“Where are you?”She glanced up at the faded green sign above the bodega across the street. “Corner of 39th and Granger. Near the old theater.”“What the hell—Isabella, are you okay?”“I ran,” she whispered. “I
The morning light filtered through the blinds in fractured slashes, casting gold and shadow across the room like a silent storm. Luca stood by the window, chest rising and falling with shallow, uneven breaths. His phone dangled loosely in his hand, the screen dark now—but the message it had delivered still echoed in his mind like a curse.We know everything.But even that wasn’t what was driving him to the edge. Not really.It was her.Isabella.The ghost from a past he could never bury. The woman who had once held his entire world in her hands—and shattered it with a single decision. She had chosen someone else. She had walked away. She had left him behind.And now she was here. Standing in the doorway of his bedroom like a vision he hadn’t dared dream of. Like a sin returning to tempt him one last time.Her wedding dress clung to her like second skin—soaked, torn, her hair damp and tangled, sticking to her pale cheeks. Her eyes, once so soft, now held shadows and secrets. But still—
The room was soaked in golden silence, that strange hush of early morning where everything feels suspended in time. The blinds filtered light in slanted beams, casting lines across the bed where tangled sheets and bodies lay in a fragile, exhausted embrace.Isabella stirred first.Her lashes fluttered. Her limbs were heavy. The weight of what she had done—of who she had chosen, if only for a night—settled over her chest like a stone. Her eyes drifted to the man sleeping beside her, and for a moment, the past and present twisted violently inside her.Luca.His face was peaceful in sleep. The hard lines of his jaw had softened, the furrow in his brow finally eased. He looked younger. Unburdened. Vulnerable, even. She could still feel his touch on her skin—ghostly fingerprints trailing heat down her spine, the memory of his mouth etched onto every curve of her body.But it wasn’t peace that twisted in her gut.It was nausea.Sudden. Violent.She bolted upright, heart hammering, throat ti
Rain slithered down the windows like tears too proud to fall.Isabella stood beneath the shower, water pounding against her skin, steam wrapping around her like a suffocating secret. But no matter how scalding the heat, she couldn’t scrub away the memory. Couldn’t purge what had been done. Couldn’t drown out him.Sebastian.His name echoed through her, vile and seductive. She closed her eyes—and he was there.His breath on her collarbone.His voice against her ear.His mouth… trailing fire down her skin.Isabella bit down hard on her knuckle until she tasted blood.It was supposed to be over. She had escaped. Torn the veil of duty and expectation right off her body and fled into the arms of a ghost—Luca, the man she once loved. The man who had burned her just as cruelly as Sebastian ever could.But here she was, hiding in a stranger’s apartment that wasn’t a stranger’s anymore. Luca’s scent was on the sheets. His fingerprints pressed into her hips. His promises tangled in the threads
The mansion was silent, almost silent save for the steady pulse of the storm against the windows. The wind howled outside, the rain slashing at the glass like a thousand tiny daggers. Sebastian stood in his study, his back to the large wooden desk, staring at the photograph in his hand.It was a simple image, but it felt like a betrayal. Isabella’s lips were on Luca’s, her eyes closed as if she’d forgotten the world around her. She was smiling—something she hadn’t done in a long. time. And Luca. He stood there like he had every right to hold her, to claim her. The image mocked Sebastian. It mocked everything he had fought to build.His knuckles were white from the tight grip he had on the photo. He wasn’t sure if he was angry because of the picture itself or because it reminded him of everything he had lost. The past few weeks of tension and silence between him and Isabella had been unbearable, but he had refused to acknowledge it. He had refused to believe she could go so far.But
Isabella’s heart beat so loud in her chest as she stood frozen at the door, staring at the envelope she had just picked up. The handwriting was not very hard to recognize, it was —Sebastian’s. Her pulse elevated as her fingers were shaking while holding the envelope. She was no stranger to the weight of his words, and this time, the letter felt heavier than ever.Taking a deep breath, she hesitated, then carefully tore open the seal. The sharp paper sound echoed in the quiet apartment, and for a moment, she wondered if this was all just a dream. She unfolded the letter slowly, trying to prepare herself for whatever Sebastian had written this time.The paper felt cold to the touch, and as she read the words, the chill crept up her spine.*“You’re still mine. And you’re still wearing my ring.”*The letter was short, direct, and strangely… possessive. He had a way of making even the simplest statement feel like a declaration of war, like an undeniable truth she couldn’t escape. Her eyes
The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft light over the apartment as Isabella stirred from sleep. She blinked against the gentle warmth, stretching out beneath the covers, feeling Luca’s presence beside her. His steady breathing was a comfort, a grounding force in the chaos of her life. For the first time in a long while, it felt like she could finally breathe.But it wasn’t the comfort she wanted that day.She rubbed her eyes and sat up slowly, her stomach turning. It had been happening for a few days now: a wave of nausea, dizziness that hit her unexpectedly. She hadn’t paid much attention to it at first, attributing it to the stress of everything she had gone through. But this morning, something felt different.Isabella swung her legs off the side of the bed, her feet touching the cool floor. The small apartment was quiet, save for the soft hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. She stood, swaying for a moment, her hand gripping the edge of the nightstand to steady he
The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft light over the apartment as Isabella stirred from sleep. She blinked against the gentle warmth, stretching out beneath the covers, feeling Luca’s presence beside her. His steady breathing was a comfort, a grounding force in the chaos of her life. For the first time in a long while, it felt like she could finally breathe.But it wasn’t the comfort she wanted that day.She rubbed her eyes and sat up slowly, her stomach turning. It had been happening for a few days now: a wave of nausea, dizziness that hit her unexpectedly. She hadn’t paid much attention to it at first, attributing it to the stress of everything she had gone through. But this morning, something felt different.Isabella swung her legs off the side of the bed, her feet touching the cool floor. The small apartment was quiet, save for the soft hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. She stood, swaying for a moment, her hand gripping the edge of the nightstand to steady he
Isabella’s heart beat so loud in her chest as she stood frozen at the door, staring at the envelope she had just picked up. The handwriting was not very hard to recognize, it was —Sebastian’s. Her pulse elevated as her fingers were shaking while holding the envelope. She was no stranger to the weight of his words, and this time, the letter felt heavier than ever.Taking a deep breath, she hesitated, then carefully tore open the seal. The sharp paper sound echoed in the quiet apartment, and for a moment, she wondered if this was all just a dream. She unfolded the letter slowly, trying to prepare herself for whatever Sebastian had written this time.The paper felt cold to the touch, and as she read the words, the chill crept up her spine.*“You’re still mine. And you’re still wearing my ring.”*The letter was short, direct, and strangely… possessive. He had a way of making even the simplest statement feel like a declaration of war, like an undeniable truth she couldn’t escape. Her eyes
The mansion was silent, almost silent save for the steady pulse of the storm against the windows. The wind howled outside, the rain slashing at the glass like a thousand tiny daggers. Sebastian stood in his study, his back to the large wooden desk, staring at the photograph in his hand.It was a simple image, but it felt like a betrayal. Isabella’s lips were on Luca’s, her eyes closed as if she’d forgotten the world around her. She was smiling—something she hadn’t done in a long. time. And Luca. He stood there like he had every right to hold her, to claim her. The image mocked Sebastian. It mocked everything he had fought to build.His knuckles were white from the tight grip he had on the photo. He wasn’t sure if he was angry because of the picture itself or because it reminded him of everything he had lost. The past few weeks of tension and silence between him and Isabella had been unbearable, but he had refused to acknowledge it. He had refused to believe she could go so far.But
Rain slithered down the windows like tears too proud to fall.Isabella stood beneath the shower, water pounding against her skin, steam wrapping around her like a suffocating secret. But no matter how scalding the heat, she couldn’t scrub away the memory. Couldn’t purge what had been done. Couldn’t drown out him.Sebastian.His name echoed through her, vile and seductive. She closed her eyes—and he was there.His breath on her collarbone.His voice against her ear.His mouth… trailing fire down her skin.Isabella bit down hard on her knuckle until she tasted blood.It was supposed to be over. She had escaped. Torn the veil of duty and expectation right off her body and fled into the arms of a ghost—Luca, the man she once loved. The man who had burned her just as cruelly as Sebastian ever could.But here she was, hiding in a stranger’s apartment that wasn’t a stranger’s anymore. Luca’s scent was on the sheets. His fingerprints pressed into her hips. His promises tangled in the threads
The room was soaked in golden silence, that strange hush of early morning where everything feels suspended in time. The blinds filtered light in slanted beams, casting lines across the bed where tangled sheets and bodies lay in a fragile, exhausted embrace.Isabella stirred first.Her lashes fluttered. Her limbs were heavy. The weight of what she had done—of who she had chosen, if only for a night—settled over her chest like a stone. Her eyes drifted to the man sleeping beside her, and for a moment, the past and present twisted violently inside her.Luca.His face was peaceful in sleep. The hard lines of his jaw had softened, the furrow in his brow finally eased. He looked younger. Unburdened. Vulnerable, even. She could still feel his touch on her skin—ghostly fingerprints trailing heat down her spine, the memory of his mouth etched onto every curve of her body.But it wasn’t peace that twisted in her gut.It was nausea.Sudden. Violent.She bolted upright, heart hammering, throat ti
The morning light filtered through the blinds in fractured slashes, casting gold and shadow across the room like a silent storm. Luca stood by the window, chest rising and falling with shallow, uneven breaths. His phone dangled loosely in his hand, the screen dark now—but the message it had delivered still echoed in his mind like a curse.We know everything.But even that wasn’t what was driving him to the edge. Not really.It was her.Isabella.The ghost from a past he could never bury. The woman who had once held his entire world in her hands—and shattered it with a single decision. She had chosen someone else. She had walked away. She had left him behind.And now she was here. Standing in the doorway of his bedroom like a vision he hadn’t dared dream of. Like a sin returning to tempt him one last time.Her wedding dress clung to her like second skin—soaked, torn, her hair damp and tangled, sticking to her pale cheeks. Her eyes, once so soft, now held shadows and secrets. But still—
The rain came down in sheets—icy, merciless—as Isabella stood beneath the flickering light of an old payphone on 39th Street. Her wedding dress clung to her like wet silk, heavy with regret. Her bare feet were numb against the cracked concrete. The line went dead.She stood there, shivering in her soaked silk and secrets, trying not to fall apart. Her lips still tingled with Sebastian’s kiss. Her thighs ached with the ghost of his hands. Her heart screamed with confusion.She could barely feel her fingers as she punched in the number from memory—one she swore she’d forget, and never could.The line clicked.A pause.Then: “Isabella?”His voice was rough. Sleep-drugged. Confused. Still heartbreakingly familiar.She swallowed hard. “Luca…”A beat of silence. Then sharper, faster—“Where are you?”She glanced up at the faded green sign above the bodega across the street. “Corner of 39th and Granger. Near the old theater.”“What the hell—Isabella, are you okay?”“I ran,” she whispered. “I
The silence was deafening.A velvet hush draped over Blackwell Manor as the night ticked toward dawn, but Isabella was wide awake. The fire from the hours before still burned low in her bones—his touch, his mouth, the way he had unraveled her layer by layer like silk. She hadn’t meant to surrender. Not to the cold man with the ice-rimmed eyes. Not to the stranger she had vowed to hate.And yet, here she was.Lying in a bed that wasn’t hers.Wrapped in a marriage that wasn’t love.Naked, save for the ache in her body and the wedding dress half-draped over the edge of the bed like a ghost of what she’d once believed she wanted.Sebastian slept soundly beside her, a sculpted silhouette against the pale sheets. His chest rose and fell in perfect rhythm—so calm, so unbothered, as if he hadn’t just set her world on fire.But Isabella couldn’t sleep.Her heart was a war drum inside her chest. And her thoughts? A storm. Her body still tingled, still ached from what they’d done, but the shame
The room was bathed in a soft, silvery light, the moon hanging like a witness to the dark promises about to be made. Isabella stood still, her fingers trembling at the hem of her wedding gown, as if she could tear away the reality of what she had just entered. The weight of the dress felt suffocating, a reminder of vows that had been exchanged like currency, with no warmth behind them, only cold promises sealed with indifference.Sebastian hadn’t said much since they left the reception. The silence between them was heavy, unspoken, but palpable. He was a man of control, of dominance, and that tension—thick and suffocating—grew with each passing second. She had entered this room a bride, but she was leaving it something else entirely.His presence loomed in the shadows of the room, a quiet force that enveloped her. It was like he was everywhere, even in the corners of her mind.“You’re scared,” he said, his voice low, almost cruel in its calmness. There was a teasing edge to it, a remi