Sofia carried guilt she couldn't shake. If she hadn't entered Adam's life... maybe Natalia would have had her happy ending. Maybe Adam wouldn't be split between past and present, between the women who once claimed him and the woman who did now.
So instead of drawing lines, Sofia softened them. She let Beatrice visit more often. She didn't protest when Adam mentioned Natalia's name in passing. She even told herself it was strength—that true love didn't need cages, that trust meant freedom.
But sometimes, in the quiet of night when Adam's arms tightened a little too much around her waist, she wondered if she was being brave... or foolish.
A few days later, she found herself at her favorite café with Anne and Elise. The clink of porcelain cups and the hum of soft jazz filled the air, but even with laughter spilling from nearby tables, Sofia's thoughts remained tangled.
