Sylvie woke before her alarm.
For a few seconds, she lay still, staring at the ceiling, letting herself remember where she was and why today mattered. The trip.
She had packed the night before. Just a small suitcase sitting neatly by the door, untouched since then. She had double-checked everything before sleeping, even though she knew she hadn’t brought much. A few outfits, work shoes, something comfortable to sleep in, toiletries. Nothing unnecessary. Nothing that would make it feel like more than what it was supposed to be. A work trip.
She swung her legs off the bed and stood, stretching slowly. The house was quiet in that particular way it always was in the early mornings, before staff moved about freely, before voices and footsteps filled the corridors. She showered, dressed caref
