Hazel stood up and took a slow look around the room. It was stunning. She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and gazed out. From this high up, the entire city stretched beneath her, glowing with the soft, golden lights of night.

She took a deep breath, holding her wine glass close, and let the beauty sink in. The city felt like a living painting... each flicker of light holding a secret, a story. For a while, she simply stood there, lost in it.

But after about forty minutes and an ...