Chapter 256 3Burning In Budapest

• Sofia stepped off the bus in Budapest with her violin case heavy in her hand. The city air felt warmer than Prague, carrying the smell of the Danube River and street food vendors. Her body still hummed from the note Viktor had slipped her. She checked into her hotel room, unpacked quickly, and changed into a simple black dress that hugged her figure. Her hands shook a little as she brushed her hair. The anxious feeling sat heavy in her stomach. What if someone saw them? What if this all went wrong?
• The afternoon rehearsal went long. Viktor pushed the orchestra hard, his baton moving sharp and fast. But his eyes kept landing on Sofia during her parts. "More feeling there," he called out. "Give it to me completely."
• After it ended, the musicians scattered for dinner and rest. Sofia waited in her room, heart pounding. Her phone buzzed with a message from him: "Come to my suite. It's on the eighth floor. Room 812. Come now."