LUCIEN’S POV

I woke up slowly, the way you do when everything feels too good to be real.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, soft and golden, warming the room. My body was heavy with the kind of deep, peaceful sleep I hadn’t had in years—maybe ever. No nightmares chasing me awake. No tension coiled in my shoulders. Just… calm.

And then I felt her.

Adele.

Still wrapped around me like she belonged there. One of her legs was thrown over mine, her arm draped across my chest, her head tucked under my chin. Her breath was warm against my skin, slow and steady. Her hair was everywhere—soft strands tickling my...