MasukISABELLE'S POV:"I am well aware.""I do not require a personal escort.""I know that too.""I am fully capable of walking up a few steps—""Damon," I interrupted softly.He quieted down and looked up at me, his gaze softening right away."Let me lend a hand," I said, keeping my tone gentle. "Please."He let out a quiet sigh, a slightly dramatic one meant to show he was yielding under protest. Even so, he did not argue any further. He reached out his good hand toward mine.I took hold of his fingers, providing a firm base as he stepped out of the vehicle. He leaned a good portion of his weight against my shoulder, his body warm and solid, and we made our way up the front entryway together, taking one careful step at a time.Damon had given most of the household staff the afternoon off so he could rest without any extra noise. The property security team remained posted around the outer perimeter, leaving just the two of us inside the main residence.I guided him through the
ISABELLE'S POV:The medical team discharged Damon three days after he woke up.Three long days of busy nurses, constant checking. Three days of bland liquid meals, stiff chairs, and the persistent knot of worry that had been resting in my chest ever since Viktor confronted us. Three days of sitting beside his bed, watching his steady breathing, and watching him gradually rebuild his energy step by step.I felt completely wiped out. I was running on pure adrenaline, willpower, and tiny fruit snacks from the lobby vending machine down the corridor. I had not slept a full night in nearly a week, and I had not enjoyed a proper home-cooked dinner in longer than I cared to admit. My hair was tied up in a messy knot, and my clothes were terribly wrinkled. I looked like someone who had spent four straight days living out of a hospital visitor room.Yet none of that mattered because he was alive. He was awake, stable, and finally coming back home.I drove him back toward his estate in hi
ISABELLE'S POV:The hospital room was quiet and peaceful.The monitors kept up a steady, comforting rhythm in the corner.I sat right beside Damon's bed, holding his hand in both of mine and watching his chest rise and fall with every breath. He had been awake for a few hours now, drifting in and out of restful sleep while his body worked hard to heal. The medical team had already assured us that he was completely out of danger and that his recovery was moving along well, but I do not think I truly believed them until this exact moment.He was looking right at me. His eyes were wide open, clear, and completely focused. He was not drifting off to sleep anymore. He was entirely awake and present in the room.He looked at me as if I was the most important person in his entire world."Damon," I said softly, leaning closer to the mattress. "What are you thinking about?"He did not answer right away. He simply kept his gaze on my face, letting his eyes trace my features carefully as
DAMON'S POV:The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the pain.It was a dull ache starting near my ribs and spreading through my entire body like a slow wave. The second thing I noticed was also the beeping nearby. It was a regular, gentle rhythm coming from the monitor beside the frame, keeping track of my heart, my breathing, and my pulse which prompted me to open my eyes slowly.The room was simple, painted in light shades and the window blinds were mostly pulled down but I could see that the sun was up. A small television screen hung silently on the wall near the corner. On the bedside table sat a tray with a fresh glass of water, alongside a vase packed with bright pink, white, and red flowers that someone had placed there with genuine care.And right next to me sat Isabelle.She was fast asleep in the chair beside my bed, her body resting in a slightly awkward position with her arms folded on the bed edge. Her soft hair fell loosely across her shoulders, completely u
ISABELLE'S POV:My thoughts kept drifting back to Damon and our history together. I remembered the very first day we met when we were just kids playing in the wide backyard. I remembered the sweet promise he made back then, telling me with total confidence that we would stay together forever when we grew up. Then I remembered the painful day years later when I pushed him away, the day I let misunderstandings stand between us, and the day I watched him walk down the driveway without looking back.I thought about all those long years we spent completely separated from each other. The quiet evenings, the regrets, and the constant feeling that a huge piece of my life was missing. I had spent so much time wondering how things might have turned out if I had just been brave enough to tell him the truth right from the start.I thought about the sweet moments we shared at his house over the past few weeks. The way he held my hand, the way he smiled whenever I walked into the room, and the w
ISABELLE'S POV:The hospital waiting room was plain and I sat in a hard blue plastic chair near the wall, my hands resting in my lap, my eyes fixed completely on the large set of doors that led into the surgical room. I had been sitting in that exact spot for several hours. I had not slept a wink. I had not touched a bite of food. I had barely shifted my position at all. I just sat there, staring at those double doors, waiting for a doctor to step out and give me an update.Damon was in surgery. He had lost a lot of blood back at the cabin, and the medical team had rushed him inside the moment we arrived.My mind kept circling back to everything that happened at the cabin. I thought about the moment Viktor appeared from the hallway. I thought about the way he pointed the gun right at my face. I thought about how Damon threw himself forward without a second of hesitation, putting his own safety on the line just to keep me out of harm's way. I remembered the exact moment I saw the
KIER'S POV:I pour myself a drink and I sit in the dark and I wait for her to come back.She always comes back.But she does not come back.A week passes. Then another. The penthouse stays empty. My calls go straight to voicemail. My texts go unanswered. I send messages through her email, through s
She watched from the window as her father walked out to greet him.August Valancourt shook Lysander's hand with both of his, the way he did with people he truly respected, and he said something that made Lysander nod solemnly. Then her mother appeared, and Isabelle kissed Lysander on both cheeks, t
Celestine started cooking at three in the afternoon, flour on her hands, music playing low from her phone and the smell of tomatoes and garlic filling the whole penthouse.She made the sauce from scratch, the way her grandmother taught her when she was maybe ten years old. She rolled out the pasta
The first time Kier met Sable Morwenna was at a charity gala about six months after his father died.He was standing by the bar, looking miserable, drinking too much and wishing he could leave. And then this woman just appeared next to him, like she had materialized out of thin air."You look like







