Axel's pov

The apartment smelled faintly of new paint and polished wood, but it wasn’t home. Alexa was bouncing from room to room, marveling at every corner, every window, every little detail and I forced a smile while my mind was somewhere else entirely.

“You’ve got to admit, Axel, this is perfect! I mean, look at this kitchen,” she said, tapping the granite countertop. “We can cook together here, have breakfast every morning and the balcony!” She spun around with arms wide, as if ...