Chapter 38 – Adrian’s First Emotional Confession

Adrian's POV

We couldn’t sleep. The quiet of the night pressed around us, thick and heavy, but it wasn’t oppressive—it was intimate. I lay on my side, propped on one elbow, staring at Isabella. Her chest rose and fell slowly, but her eyes were wide, alert, watching me with a soft curiosity I’d never admitted I craved.

“You’re staring,” she whispered, voice low, teasing, but not mocking.

“I am,” I admitted, voice rough, ...