The island rose from the mist like a quiet secret. White sand stretched beneath limestone cliffs, and atop the highest point stood a villa of pale stone, half-hidden among coconut trees and flowering vines.
Tahimik. Walang ibang tao. Only the sound of waves breaking softly against the shore, and the wind moving through the leaves.We stepped ashore as the sun began to dip toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and deep rose.
Elias carried both our bags, walking ahead of me along the path. He seemed lighter here, less guarded, less like a man playing a part and more like the boy I once knew. Yet tension still hung between us, thick and heavy, like a storm waiting to break.
The villa was beautiful inside, high ceilings, wide windows looking out over the ocean, warm wood
