Marcus' POV I watched Aphrodite the morning after our dinner of confessions and noticed something different in her posture. She seemed lighter, as if she'd finally set down an enormous weight after sharing her pain with me. And yet, there was a new fragility there too, like she'd replaced one burden with another. Maybe the fear of having exposed herself too much. Of having trusted a stranger with her deepest secrets. She was on the deck, coffee in hand, staring out at the crystal-clear sea, but her shoulders were slightly hunched, as if the shadow of the night before still lingered. At that moment, I decided this day needed to be about lightness. About pulling Aphrodite completely out of the dark orbit of her past and back into our private paradise. "How about a boat trip today?" I suggested, stepping up behind her and brushing a light kiss against her neck. "We could find a deserted beach, swim a little, pretend we're the only two people in the world." "That sounds perfect," s
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