"Beatrice? What are you doing here?"
Sofia's voice trembled slightly as she stood from the cushioned bench, her gaze locking onto the woman standing at the edge of the patio. The sea breeze tugged at her linen robe, but it wasn't the cool air that made her breath catch. It was Beatrice—unexpected, uninvited, and somehow... different.
The sun was beginning its slow descent over the horizon, casting streaks of gold and rose across the waves. It had been a quiet afternoon—too quiet, now that her friends had left to return to their lives in the city. For a few days, their presence had wrapped around her like a warm blanket—reminding her that she wasn't entirely alone. But now... she was. Or had been. Until now.
"I thought you were still in the city," Sofia added, her tone sharper than she intended. "Raymond said—he promised he wouldn't tell anyone where I was staying."
