The golden light had deepened.

It wasn’t just morning now — it was late morning. The kind where the world outside had already begun its rhythm, but inside their villa, time seemed to obey a different pace.

Sophie stretched out again on the bed, sheets brushing against her bare skin, the fabric cool and luxurious. Alexander had stepped away for just a moment — she could hear the soft sound of running water in the bathroom and the occasional shift of wood underfoot.

The shirt she wore still smelled like him.

A mix of cologne, salt from the ocean air, and something uniquely Alexander — warmth and cedar and the...