Chapter 19 – The Touch That Burns

• The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of hay and earth through the estate’s stables. Alina stood just inside the wide wooden doors, eyes narrowing at the row of sleek horses, their coats gleaming in the early sun. Luciano was already there, his stance calm but commanding, as if he belonged not just to the shadows of his estate, but to the life beating under its skin.
• “Ever ridden before?” he asked, voice low, almost amused.
• Alina shook her head, folding her arms. “Can’t say I’m an expert.”