Chapter 53. Morning After

The first pale glow of dawn seeped into the room and stirred her awake. It wasn’t a harsh glare or a rude intrusion, but a soft, amber wash that spread like warm honey across her collarbone—an unspoken invitation rather than a demand. Alyssa lay very still beneath the linen sheet, her skin still saturated with the afterglow of deep, dreamless rest, her breath rising and falling in gentle, even rhythms. For a long, silent heartbeat she kept her eyes closed, allowing the hush of morning to fill every corner of her mind.

Slowly, the world came into focus through her ears. Somewhere beyond the curtained window, a few brave birds began their tentative dawn chorus. Closer at hand, the clear clink of a spoon against ceramic—metal meeting porcelain in perfect harmony—drifted through the air. Then came soft, measured footsteps on terracotta tiles, each step unhurried and full of purpose. Coffee. She recognized the ritual before the scent reached her, and a quiet smile curved her lips.<