The warning came without words. It arrived in the form of light. Morning sunlight poured through the villa like a blessing, warm and soft, making the rooms glow like amber. The staff laughed while setting breakfast. Flowers decorated the table. The ocean was calm. It felt like there was no world beyond this island.
And that was how I forgot.
For a little while, I was not Cassandra.
I was just Isla.
Malia brought slices of mango drizzled with honey, and Keoni placed a plate of sweet bread still warm from the oven. I tasted the bread, surprised by the soft texture, and gasped without thinking.
“It tastes like clouds,” I said.
Everyone laughed. Even Chase’s lips twitched slightly, the kind of smile that lived in his eyes rather than on his mouth. Keoni joked that he would write “cloud b
