Chapter 131

ISABELLE I don’t want to scare you.” A pause. “But I saw you standing at a crossroad. And I felt this overwhelming need to call you. To tell you—” Her voice wavered slightly. “Whatever you’re facing, my love. Whatever decision is in front of you. Please. Hang on. Don’t let fear or pain push you into something you can’t take back. You are stronger than you know. And you will be fine. I promise you, you will be fine.”I pressed my hand against my mouth. “Mom—”“I don’t know what’s going on with you,” she continued. “You haven’t called in days, and that’s not like you. But I felt it, Bella. I felt that something was sitting heavy on you. So I’m just asking you to hold on. Whatever it is.”The tears came before I could stop them.“I love you,” she said softly. “Whatever happens. Whatever you decide. I love you and I am so proud of the woman you’ve become.”“I love you too, Mom,” I managed, my voice barely holding together.We talked for another minute—small, gentle things, her telling me

Chapter 132

LUCIAThe shoot wrapped twenty minutes ago.The creative space was still buzzing with the tail end of it—assistants folding equipment away, stylists packing up their kits, the low hum of people transitioning from work mode back into themselves.I was still at the photographer’s workstation, leaning over his laptop, scrolling through the final shots. He’d stepped away moments ago to oversee the breakdown of the lighting equipment, leaving me with the images and the quiet satisfaction of a session that had gone well.I was mid-scroll when I sensed someone approach.Sheila.She looked the way she always did in professional settings—polished, deliberate, like every movement had been considered in advance. Her assistant trailed a step behind her, attending to whatever needed attending to, before Sheila dismissed her with a small gesture and closed the remaining distance between us alone.She smiled when she reached me.The kind of smile that was practiced enough to feel genuine.“Good sess

Chapter 133

ISABELLEI dumped my bag and the folder on the couch and made my way to the bedroom.I stopped at my nightstand, filled the glass with water, and gulped it down. I set the cup back where I’d picked it from and began undressing. I put my clothes aside and made my way to the bathroom.I heaved a deep sigh as the cold water made its presence known on my body. I shut my eyes for a moment, trying to block out any memories of him.He definitely took it seriously when I told him to ruin me. Because right now, I was in an even worse position than he’d found me in. Not only did I feel used, but now I was left to make a decision that felt like it would break me either way. It was crazy—I thought I had seen it all after what Dave put me through.My life was—I snapped out of my thoughts. Washed my body quickly and stepped out. I dried off, changed into a comfy top and matching shorts, then stood there for a moment in the quiet of my bedroom.I was debating whether to crawl into bed even though i

Chapter 134

ISABELLE“Heyyyy!” Rachel caught up with me in the elevator, and it took everything in me not to roll my eyes. She stood close as the elevator door slowly came to a close.“You seem quiet lately. Or is it just me?”I finally looked her in the eyes, my hand tightening around my handbag.“You’re the one who’s been stalking me because you thought I had something going on with your man. When in reality, he wanted me as a tool.”Rachel scoffed. I was surprised at myself, too—in situations like this, I was used to saying nothing.“I don’t know who’s more delusional. You or Enrico, who actually thought you had potential.”“Why are you so obsessed with me?” I challenged, turning to face her fully. I had no idea why the elevator was taking so long to reach the ground floor.“Huh?” She gave me that look—the one that was half confusion, half ego.“Would you even still be standing here if I had ended up with Moretti and closed the deal Enrico wanted?”I didn’t miss the jealousy that flashed acros

Chapter 135

MATTEOI don’t know what made me call. I don’t know what made me show up either.But somehow I was here, sitting in the same chair I hadn’t sat in for almost three years, in the same office that still smelled faintly of cedar and old books.The room was the kind of space that had been deliberately designed to put people at ease without being obvious about it. Warm light from a lamp in the corner cast something softer than the afternoon outside. Two chairs faced each other across a low table—no desk between us, no barrier. A bookshelf lined one wall, full but not cluttered. And directly opposite, the same abstract painting I’d spent too many sessions pretending to study instead of answering questions. Blues and greysbleeding into each other in a way that could mean anything or nothing, depending on the day.Dr. Reid sat across from me—relaxed, unhurried, one leg crossed over the other, a notepad resting on the arm of his chair that he hadn’t yet opened.He looked a little greyer at the

Chapter 136

MATTEOThe path was shorter than I remembered.Or maybe I’d just been dreading it long enough that I’d built it into something it wasn’t.The cemetery was quiet at this hour—the kind of quiet that didn’t feel empty but full. Like the air itself was holding something. I walked without needing to think about where I was going. My feet remembered even when the rest of me had spent three years trying to forget.I found her easily.The stone was smaller than I remembered. Or maybe I’d just grown heavier since the last time I stood here.Abigail MorettiEleven days. Forever loved.The grave was tended. Fresh flowers already there—the arrangement I had someone change every week without fail. The grass around it neat and trimmed.I stood there for a long time. I didn’t speak.The wind moved through the trees lining the path behind me. Somewhere in the distance a bird called once and then went silent. The afternoon light fell across the stone in a way that made it look almost warm.I don’t kno