Cyril’s POV
I woke before the sun rose. The room was still dark, but I could see Ella’s shape against me. Her hair was messy across the pillow, her breathing slow and steady. She was asleep, completely unaware that I was watching her.
For a long time, I didn’t move. My hand rested against her back, and I felt the rhythm of her body as she slept. It was the first night in a long time that I didn’t feel restless. Something had shifted between us.
The words she said last night kept replaying in my head. I’m yours.
I had forced them out of her, but I also knew she meant them. She didn’t try to take them back. She let me hold her, kiss her, claim her. She didn’t resist. That was more important to me than I wanted to admit.
I shifted carefully, not wanting to wake her. My mind was already t
