[Alfio's Pov—Blue Moon Hotel—Evening]
We came back to the hotel as soon as the sun melted into the horizon, leaving the sky painted in shades of blood and gold.
I sank into the bathtub, letting the scalding water swallow me whole. My body loosened against the porcelain, a soft sigh escaping my lips.
"It feels… good," I mumbled, closing my eyes.
The bathroom was silent except for the lazy hum of waves crashing against the shore outside. Through the wide glass window, the beach stretched endlessly—serene, beautiful, untouchable.
"I wish…" My voice broke in a whisper, almost ashamed to admit it. "…I wish time could stop at this moment."
And then—
CREAK.
The door groaned open.
I flinched, snapping my eyes open.
