The silence left by the ended call stretched taut in the spacious, dimly lit room. Valeria, who had been standing unnoticed near the doorway, moved forward, her steps soft on the plush carpet. The shadows cast by the low light of the bedside lamp played across her face, reflecting a mixture of concern and confusion. 

Gabriel, who had been staring at the now-dark screen of his phone, looked up, slightly startled. His features, usually composed and unreadable, betrayed a moment of surprise as ...