Corinne returned in the evening carrying clothes and a few essentials. Once she left, Sofía locked herself inside the restroom and showered quickly, scrubbing her skin as if she could wash away everything that had happened. She dressed in the clothes Corinne had brought a beautiful, shoulderless sundress that fell just below her knees.
She stood frozen in front of the mirror.
The purplish-blue bite mark on her neck glared back at her, vivid and unmistakable. A brand. A reminder. A scream of betrayal she couldn't silence no matter how hard she tried.
Stepping out of the restroom, she moved toward the window.
The room faced the front of the estate. From where she stood, she could see people everywhere small houses scattered across the land, men patrolling the grounds, guards stationed near the distant main gate. Children ran across the gardens, laughing, while a few women watered plants as if this were any ordinary day.
All the houses were modest bungalows.
Except this one.
