Ysabel was already awake early in the morning. The mansion was quiet. Leonardo was away on a business trip in Singapore, a four-day conference she had chosen not to accompany him to.

And in the silence of the house, it was the first time she breathed again—not because Leonardo was far, but because… she was closer to herself once more.

She stood in front of the mirror. Wearing a simple white blouse and jeans, her hair tied back. No makeup, no bracelet, no symbol of her husband’s name. ...