Chapter 4 — Boundaries and Shadows

Bella

The early light of dawn filtered through the louvered shutters of the guest room I’d claimed as my own, casting faint stripes across the polished wooden floor. I stood by the window, a porcelain cup of coffee cradled in my hands, its warmth a small comfort against the morning chill. The bitter scent mingled with the faint trace of lavender lingering on the sheets. My eyes traced the manicured gardens below, where shadows pooled in the hedgerows like secrets buried too deep to unearth.