Emma’s POV

Returning to the penthouse after the raw, sun-drenched intimacy of Tuscany felt like stepping into a different dimension. The city’s hum, once a source of quiet anxiety, now resonated with a comforting familiarity. But the apartment itself, so grand and imposing before, seemed to have shifted. It was no longer just Adrian’s domain; it was ours. The air still carried the faint scent of his crisp cologne, but now I detected an overlay of the Tuscan earth, the subtle sweetness of jasmine from the villa – phantom notes that tied us to our honeymoon and the profound changes it had wrought.