CHAPTER 322
KATYA POV
By the time the afternoon settled over the estate, breakfast already felt strangely unreal.
The morning sunlight had long since climbed higher into the sky, replacing the pale dawn with warm golden light that spilled across every corner of the villa.
Somewhere inside the house, staff moved quietly through their usual routines. Lunch was still some time away, and for the first time since we'd returned from the club, the estate had fallen back into its familiar rhythm.
Peaceful. Almost painfully so.
m You would never have guessed what had happened less than twenty-four hours ago.
I sat on one of the wrought-iron benches overlooking Nonna's rose garden, my elbows resting lightly on my knees.
The breeze drifted lazily through the flowers, carrying with it the sweet scent of roses and freshly cut grass. Somewhere nearby, water trickled softly from the old marble fountain hidden among the hedges.
