C9 The Ghost in the Mirror

They drove for hours—through winding backroads, past vineyards and abandoned stone houses, until the sea opened wide before them like a threat and a promise.

The estate was old Sicilian money. Weathered shutters. Salt-kissed walls. No modern security. Just shadows, silence, and the weight of history.

Emilia stood in the bedroom, staring at her reflection in a dusty mirror. Her lip was split