Isla’s POV
The storm did not sleep. It moved across the island in heavy sheets all night, rattling shutters, shaking branches, and turning the villa into a quiet shelter floating in a world made of water. Lightning came and left like silver veins across the sky, and thunder sounded like drums calling distant spirits. I barely slept. Each time I closed my eyes, I saw the flash of light between us. The almost-kiss. The shock in his voice when he said Cassandra was missing again. And the way his body had gone still, like he was made of stone with a breaking heart trapped inside.
By morning, the storm had weakened, but the villa felt different. The air was heavier. The silence sharper. Even the staff whispered instead of laughing. Something unseen hung between the walls like a veil.
Chase d
