Vito needed some fresh air. His head is full of silence and thoughts he didn't want to face. The weather was cold, the kind that bit your skin but cleared your head a little. He stepped out into the compound, pulling a cigarette and lighter from his pocket. The first puff hit deep, smoke curling into the dark sky. It calmed him for a bit.
He stood there, lost in thought, until movement caught his eye. From afar, he saw Ortensia. She was walking slowly toward the swimming pool, her head low, her body language like someone carrying too many thoughts at once. He didn't move, just watched from the corner.
She stopped right in front of the pool, staring at the water. The lights from the mansion reflected off her face, showing that soft sadness he hated seeing on her. Vito took another d
