Chapter 37 An Unexpected Dinner

• The silence in the house was deafening. Isabelle, in her emerald green silk dress that clung to her like a second skin felt the emptiness pressing down on her. Penelope, their usually ever-present maid had gone to visit her family, Liam having granted her permission with a rare wave of his hand.
• Isabelle was alone in the sprawling mansion, a gilded cage that felt more like a prison with each passing day. The afternoon light filtered through the expansive windows, casting long, shimmering shadows on the polished marble floors. She was surrounded by luxury, yet she felt utterly unmoored, adrift in a sea of gold and velvet that couldn't mask the lack of warmth.
• She wandered into the kitchen, the polished marble countertops cold under her touch. She'd decided to cook dinner, something simple, a break from the monotony that had settled into her life like a thick layer of dust. The clinking of pots and the hiss of the stove filled the silence, a meager solace.