She turned back to the mirror, her reflection an unfamiliar version of herself.
She was exposed, inside and out.
Her fingers lingered on the edge of the basin as her thoughts turned once more to Heiko. Where had he gone? What was he doing now, after walking away from her so abruptly?
The questions lingered, unanswered, in the heavy silence of the room.
She had no choice but to wait.
---
River’s fingers trembled as she fastened the row of buttons on the modest, high-collared dress she had pulled from the wardrobe—its dull color and conservative cut a far cry from the elegant gown now torn and discarded like a shed skin.
She chose this particular dress deliberately, not for beauty or comfort, but for concealment.
The bruises blooming across her delicate skin were not the kind she
