The view from here

Lucy pressed a hand to her temple, exhaling slowly as she leaned against the edge of the velvet chaise in the sunroom. The villa was beautiful, of course it was. Caleb never did anything halfway. But the air felt suffocating, like gold walls closing in.

Andrew had finally stopped crying, lulled to sleep by one of the nannies. The silence left behind wasn't peace, it was pressure. Lucy felt it in every breath.

Caleb watched her from the glass doors, his posture relaxed, a glass of wine dangling from his fingers. He stepped closer.

"You need a break," he said softly, his voice lower now, intimate. "You've been through a lot."

Lucy turned, her eyes wary. "I just need a moment to breathe."

Caleb nodded, then gestured toward the double doors leading out to the veranda. "Come. Let me show you something."