Bianca's POV
Morning sunlight filtered through the guest room curtains, casting long golden streaks across the hardwood floor that stopped just inches from where I lay. I remained motionless for several heartbeats, absorbing the silence that wrapped around the estate like a protective blanket. My mind slowly assembled the scattered fragments of another sleepless night into something resembling coherence. The familiar tightness pulled at my skin, that perpetual dryness that always followed hours of restless turning. Without allowing myself to dwell on it, I pushed back the covers and padded barefoot across the cool floor toward the adjoining bathroom.
Preparation had always been my shield against chaos.
Thankfully, the frequent arguments between my husband and me had taught me to maintain well-stocked guest quarters throughout the house. Every room contained what I might need during those inevitable nights of exile from the master suite.
