Chapter 25 – Boundaries And Breathless Nights

• A soft mist blurring the estate’s view as Alina padded quietly down the hallway. She hadn’t meant to come this far—her mind was still swimming with the journal, her mother’s voice inked into every page, the tangled confessions of a woman torn between love and loyalty.
• Luciano hadn’t said much after his final words: “I tried.”
• She hadn’t pushed. Not then. The weight between them had felt… different. Not heavy in a way that crushed, but something else.