Chapter 4

The following week, Alex surprised me with a gift that was both unexpected and oddly touching. I returned to the penthouse one evening to find a small, fluffy ragdoll cat nestled in a plush bed, its eyes inquisitive and bright as it observed its new surroundings.

'This is Princess,' Alex said, his voice warm with the kind of affection one might reserve for a cherished memory. 'I remembered you once admired a ragdoll cat in a store window. I thought she might keep you company.'

I felt a pang of surprise, touched by his attention to such a long-forgotten detail.…