When the golden morning light filtered through the heavy velvet curtains, Rosa opened her eyes to a cold, empty bed. She checked around the expansive master suite, but there was no sign of Giovanni. A quick glance at the clock revealed it was still quite early, yet he was already gone. She guessed he and his men must have left for work, but it frustrated her that even when she managed to wake up ahead of schedule, he was already gone from the estate.

More than anything, she was still furious about last night. The memory of the mirror, her trembling hands, and the agonizing realization that he had left...