Chapter 58

Alessandro

Something was off with Isabella. There was something in the way she moved that didn’t sit right with me. It wasn’t entirely obvious, and I wouldn’t say I knew her so well to know if she was fine or not. Still, the air around her gave her away.

She was rather too polite, too calm, walking about like a mouse that had been beaten up in the rain. Even the night I left her outside in the cold, her gait still held defiance and resistance. It seemed as though she was trying to shrink without being noticed.

She didn’t argue when told what to do. She didn’t question. She was present but not here, and that bothered me more than anything else could have. Maybe because I began to enjoy the defiance she showed, or maybe I could feel the alarm clock going wild in my head. Or maybe I somehow began to miss her and our moments, or I was wondering what exactly could be wrong? Was she worn out from playing party doll for me? Or had she grown weary of my presence?