Chapter 81 The Dungeon In Rome

• Black at the island house, the sun hung lazily in the sky, casting a golden hue over the glimmering ocean. The waves lapped gently against the shore, steady and indifferent, as if mocking the storm brewing just beneath the surface.
• Serena sat reclined on a cushioned lounger, shaded beneath a wide-brimmed hat. A book lay open in her lap, even though her eyes had drifted from the pages long ago. The breeze teased at the corners of her bikini cover, and the scent of sunscreen and saltwater hung in the air. Everything about her was composed. Still and undisturbed.
• She didn’t hear the footsteps at first, the soft, deliberate, measured footsteps. They drew closer, slow but certain. Didn't sound like the erratic movement of someone startled or angry. No. This approach carried weight and intention. The grave kind.