The ticking of the clock seemed to have stopped. Every second dragged by as though time itself were mocking her. Nearly an hour late... and still no sign of him. No message. No call. No sound of a car pulling up outside.

Sitting on the couch, Catarina clasped her hands tightly between her knees, trying to breathe, but anxiety consumed everything. Little by little, the silence inside the house became her enemy. A silence so heavy it seemed to echo inside her head.

And in that emptiness, all she