Chapter 158

• Marcel’s POV
• The soft morning light spilled across the living room floor as I leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Ella’s lips. She smelled like honey and chamomile tea, her skin still warm from the sleep we had shared just hours ago. Her arms wrapped around me briefly, reluctant to let go, and I held her just a heartbeat longer than usual. A part of me didn’t want to walk out that door—not because of work, but because of the unease that had taken root in my chest since that night.
• “I’ll be back soon,” I murmured against her forehead, brushing her hair aside.