The quiet hum of the night lingered around the villa. Moonlight spilled across the marble floor, brushing over the soft edges of the living room furniture and the half-open curtains that swayed gently with the breeze. Mio had just ended her call with Jane and Wei, her heart still warm from their words.
She sat on the couch in the spacious living area, a light blanket draped around her legs. The glow from her laptop screen had dimmed to sleep mode, but the news headlines remained vivid in her mind—her song trending everywhere, her name suddenly back in the spotlight.
The door creaked open softly.
Footsteps echoed—steady, unhurried, familiar. The scent of roasted beans and a faint note of vanilla drifted through the air before she even looked up.
Claude.
