Page 70 of Bound By Crimson
Every morning before he left for work, he’d lean down and press a soft kiss to her forehead. Lingering just long enough to make her stir, but never enough to fully wake her.
A whisper of affection she never got to hold onto. Gone before she opened her eyes.
She remembered Kai’s promise, but a part of her didn’t expect it to come true. It felt too good to be real.
That raw, hollow feeling stirred in her chest again—the ache of something missing.
Like she’d been left behind, floating in a life that didn’t feel like hers.
She rolled onto her side, pulling the covers tighter around her.
The faint trace of Kai’s cologne still clung to the pillow.
It once felt like waking up inside a dream.
Now it felt like waking up inside a memory.
She sat up slowly, the silk of her nightgown whispering against her skin.
The room was breathtaking—gilded mirrors, velvet chairs, chandeliers dripping with light.
But none of it mattered when you felt like a ghost in your own life.
She padded barefoot into the kitchen.
The penthouse was quiet. Always quiet.
Thomas had already come and gone, leaving her favorite coffee waiting on the counter.
Her exact order. Still warm.
She hadn’t asked for it. She hadn’t asked for much lately.
She took a sip and leaned against the marble counter, staring out at the endless skyline.
Below, cars crept through veins of pavement.
People on their way somewhere. People with purpose.
And her?
She just waited.
Day after day.
For the sound of the door.
For Kai’s smile.
For something to make her feel real again.
She wandered the apartment as she always did.
Bare feet silent against the cold stone floors.
Past the boutique closet she never touched.
Past the spa bathroom she rarely used.
