The sun poured through the castle windows like melted gold.
Eliana walked barefoot through the hallway, her robe draped open just enough to feel the coolness of the marble against her legs. The place was almost too beautiful to be real. Vaulted ceilings, old oil paintings, dark polished wood carved into doors that had probably been there since some forgotten century.
Valeria had called it an estate. Luca called it a fucking fortress. But to Eliana, it was just where they ended up after the world stopped clapping.
She stepped into the massive living room, its stone hearth dark, its tall windows bathing the room in a halo of morning. A velvet sofa in rich cream sat across from a modern flatscreen mounted on old stone. On the carved table, she set down a tray of sliced peaches, a croissant, and a cup of chocolate.
She curled up on the couch, knees tucked under her. Picked up the remote. Turned on YouTube.
The title made her still.
