Chapter 16

• A wave of nausea engulfed Noémie as they drove through the familiar roads of the city. The pictures of the models had changed, but the signboards remained the same. The faces of the people were still a passing memory, but the feeling of belonging—and being part of the crowd—felt just the same.
• Noémie did a double take when their car passed a familiar building—a multi-cuisine restaurant where she had treated her younger sister, Claudia, on the day she graduated. It had been a pleasant day. It was rare for her entire family to gather for an occasion, with everyone caught up in their own priorities, but that day, everyone had looked happy. Claudia had cut the cake and introduced her boyfriend to the family for the first time.
• Thinking about her family brought a fresh pang to Noémie’s heart. Her vision blurred, and tears soaked her lashes. She had yet to contact her sister and tell her about her return. Even after a week of staying at the main Halest Villa, she hadn’t been able to muster the courage. When she had left the city, she had told no one, not wanting them to worry—especially her mother, who would have gotten sick with anxiety.