The apartment was quieter than it had any right to be. Bella had left for the day, leaving Mila in the care of a nanny, and for once, the space felt empty, oppressive in its stillness. I leaned against the wall in the hallway, hand brushing over the cold surface of the doorknob I had considered turning so many times, and let out a low, humorless laugh.

I had spent the morning watching shadows stretch across the room, thinking about how easily I had been deceived. How naive I had been to trust ...