ISABELLA'S POV

The sunlight pressed faintly through the curtains, a thin slice of gold that kissed the edge of my bed. My eyes fluttered open to the quiet hum of the morning—the low rumble of cars outside, the chirping of birds perched on the eaves, and the faint sound of footsteps somewhere in the hallway.

For a moment, I simply lay there, staring at the ceiling. My body felt heavy, drained. The past few days had been brutal—meetings stacked one after another, decisions made under ...