Leila ends the call, her fingers lingering over the screen for a moment before she sets the phone down in her lap. A faint smile remains on her lips, but her eyes wander—quietly searching, suddenly uncertain.
The wind lifts her scarf slightly. She smooths it down, a subtle flutter in her chest. Not fear. But something.
She straightens up, scanning the gentle curves of the courtyard near Castel Sant'Elmo. Her gaze brushes past an older couple laughing softly, a group of students taking selfies, and... something else.
Someone.
She sees no one in particular, but her heart ticks a little louder. That feeling again—of being seen, not stared at.
Leila stands, brushing invisible dust from her jeans. The soft ache in her limbs reminds her of how far she's come, how long this day has been. But she isn't ready to leave yet. She takes a deep breath and begins walking the perimeter, letting the ancient stones whisper history beneath her steps.
From the shade, Elias watches her move—graceful, unaware of the thread she's pulled taut between them.
"She felt us," Kai mutters. "I swear she looked right through the ivy at one point."
"She didn't see us," Elias says quietly, "but something in her did."
Kai raises an eyebrow. "Poetic. You're writing poetry now, capo?"
Elias doesn't answer. His focus hasn't shifted.
"She moves like someone who's used to hiding strength under softness," he murmurs.
Kai folds his arms. "Are you always this observant or just with girls who smell like coconut and sadness?"
A beat of silence.
Then Elias says, "She makes me… curious."
Kai whistles low. "That's dangerous."
Elias ignores the jab. His eyes stay on Leila's retreating figure. "She's not loud. Not dramatic. Not trying to be seen. But still—"
"She was seen."
"Exactly."
A pause, thick with thought.
"I'm not going back tonight," Elias says suddenly.
Kai blinks. "You're what now?"
"I want to see where she goes next."
Kai gives him a long look. "You're aware this sounds like the beginning of a Bond film or a love story, right?"
Elias allows the smallest of smirks. "Sometimes they're the same thing."
Kai exhales. "Alright. I'll move our return flight. Again."
Elias finally turns away from the wall, heading toward the path she disappeared down. "Let's just call this... due diligence."
Kai chuckles as he follows, shaking his head. "You know, boss… you've never followed anyone. Not like this."
Elias doesn't respond.
He just walks, guided by a spark that neither power nor blood nor silence ever taught him to chase.