Aria’s POV
I woke up to the soft hum of silence, the kind that only existed in places untouched by chaos. The bed beneath me was massive, the sheets crisp and unfamiliar, and for a moment, I forgot where I was. Then it all came rushing back. Gabriel bringing me here last night, saying it wasn’t safe to stay at the mansion. The family mansion. He had always stayed there for his grandmother’s sake, but with her out of the country, there was nothing tying him to that place anymore. Nothing except me, and now, even I had been removed from it. I sat up slowly, taking in the space around me. Gabriel wasn’t in bed, we had slept together in the same bed. The bedroom was modern, with high ceilings and sleek furnishings, every inch of it screaming understated luxury. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretc
