Adina’s POV

After Karina left, the garden fell into a heavy silence that pressed against my chest. The sun had risen high above the trees, but its warmth didn’t reach me. I just sat there, my hands folded on my lap, staring blankly at the stone path she had walked down. The scent of her perfume, that familiar blend of jasmine and rain, still lingered faintly in the air, mixing uneasily with the smell of damp earth.

Everything she said echoed in my mind like a storm that refused to quiet. ...