Chapter 43 – The Silence of Deception

The apartment smelled of damp walls, stale air, and gas leaks.

Cold crept in through the cracks of the broken window frames like a quiet warning.

The old gas heater hadn’t worked in months. Her aunt kept promising to fix it.

Valeria didn’t care.

Not yet.

She sat curled up on the sagging couch, a gray blanket wrapped around her shoulders, legs crossed, her phone resting on her chest.

Waiting.

Waiting for Adrián to cool down.

Waiting for him to come back the