Chapter 44 Victor Return

• Elena hadn't moved in hours.
• Wrapped in her robe, she sat motionless on the edge of her bed, a steaming cup of chamomile tea forgotten in her hands. The clock ticked on the wall, but time felt like it had frozen. Outside her window, Florence came to life bakers unlocking their shops, the scent of fresh espresso curling through alleyways, the street sweepers humming down cobblestone lanes. But none of that reached her.
• Not today.