-

uieter than

sound, but i

all glass buildings and trimmed hedges that didn't dare grow out

ite of he

accent. She simply nodded, stared out the window, and kept one hand gripp

ll, temporary rental flat i

. One key.

rf

-

le. The radiator sputtered to life as she

can

come b

war

ft crackle of distance between

rrow window overlooking the gray skyline and sat on the edge

for a lo

still. Her

rself when everything you

-

was no

y bled out all

different

o

ar

duc

carry-on and pulled

ner Lucas once gifted her - the one

stayed in

olen from the hotel minibar last fall du

d to the f

wr

Mor

rs. Beauty that d

pa

rlin

n who will never be

-

y the time she st

er back burned. H

hest... w

was barel

t was

a shadow. Or a version of her

ed to Sel

ow, that

-

ck: One

café in Florence, stirring suga

ut doing your own t

tly. "Lucas likes me h

"So you're his

hed it o

question

-

es

led herself into a borrowed w

rough the fabr

s fre

lked a

utiques and sh

ples han

lives she once

tched her breath rise into the sky lik

ebook from her bag

-

ive days, that

Write. Wan

she skip

e forgot wha

e filled with

ct fo

nd

gl

ect, velvet rage,

check soc

call

nd to her mo

ld coul

y coming ba

-

found h

Geneva, Selina walked into a

t alone with her

ok when she heard it - a soft

ine: "Is

from

reenshot of a gos

ove Amara Devereux – Spotted at Fl

was a

roomed, express

g beside him, s

eth

as never

d been the foo

-

idn't

't s

throw t

ust s

e in years, her finge

about th

even abo

easy it was for

een in

while she was sta

o one knew what it

-

Her tea untouched. He

back into

now where sh

knew o

t going to

anym

ver a

-

stepped back out onto the str

the cold

gh the layers she had wrapped so tightl

l something that

er boots loud against cobblesto

ar

se it w

ys A

Effortless.

be anything but herself - a

into every shape to ke

a just existed, a

-

ne buzz

om

e, she a

tween them, stretching across count

u didn't see it,"

Selina

voice had cracked the si

Flat. B

haled. "

ne," sh

you'r

le

ut you w

-

opped her coat and sank int

l pressed

ough the burn

ispered. "Was I ever reall

low. "You were. Th

her

saw myself in her, you know? I saw it the moment I met h

e you looked like his mem

didn't

dn't n

-

start it," she

nked. "St

comp

n Moreau

waiting to be chosen. I'm done hiding. I don't care if it fails -

ce turned sha

more.

blinked

omorrow. You'll need branding. Strate

ao

make people comfortable. Now i

-

thing warm flick

t

ho

start

hat was eno

-

on the floor, laptop open, a half

hovered over

n t

for the woman who will

the words fo

aved t

the s

elf smile -

-

e else i

edge of a balcony o

arp-suit

a tablet lit

Selina

Relocated. Unknown

e in silence, h

rveillance photo of her - blurry, ta

been c

mbered

t steppe

ould