I left before dawn.
The estate was still dark when I slipped out, the halls were quiet enough to hear my own footsteps and the soft rustle of the bag tucked under my arm. No one stopped me, Bastián had given his order too clearly for anyone to question where I was going, and that was exactly what I needed. A woman with a deadline could move more freely than a woman under suspicion.
The coast road stretched empty ahead of me, pale under the first gray wash of morning. The sea below looked calm from a distance, but I knew better. It kept what it swallowed, that was the only reason this could work.
I drove with both hands tight on the wheel and my jaw locked so hard it ached. The ring sat in my coat pocket, so did the bracelet, and the small silver clasp from a chain I had dug from the dri
