The Italian sun hung high and heavy over the Amalfi Coast, drenching the white stucco of the villa in a brilliance that felt almost aggressive. After the suffocating tension of their departure from Zurich, the afternoon appeared to be the very picture of Mediterranean indolence. The turquoise water of the infinity pool merged seamlessly with the horizon of the Tyrrhenian Sea, creating an illusion of infinite freedom. Yet, for Kai and Elea, every ray of light was a spotlight, and every shadow was a potential witness.
Kai emerged from the water, the droplets glistening on his skin like liquid diamonds. He shook his head, water spraying in a wide arc, before reaching for a plush towel draped over a designer sun lounger. He didn't immediately dry himself. Instead, he stood at the edge of the
