Adrian had promised he would come down after three hours, a simple, precise instruction that had anchored her expectations like a tether. But now… five hours had passed. Five hours. Five fucking hours.
Raya sat slouched on the velvet sofa, phone in hand, the screen casting a faint glow across her face in the soft, muted light of the sitting room. The device had been her companion for the last five hours, an unceasing, silent presence, scrolling, tapping, swiping, anything to anchor her restless mind. Outside, the city moved on, indifferent, a distant murmur beyond the thick glass windows. Inside, the room held a static, almost oppressive quality, as if time itself had slowed to a crawl, compressing the air into heavy, suffocating pockets around them.
Diana had left hours ago for some errand, her absence leaving Raya alone with Alessia Romano.
