The café was alive with the hum of conversation, the clinking of coffee cups, and the sweet aroma of pastries fresh from the oven. Gwen sat across from Sienna, forcing her lips into a smile even though her hands trembled faintly beneath the table.
“You look as white as a ghost,” Sienna said suddenly, leaning forward with her chin resting on her palm. Her curls bounced as she tilted her head, curiosity bright in her eyes. “Are you alright?”
Gwen’s heart skipped. For a moment, she almost blurted everything, the truth about the locked doors, the files she had stumbled across, the man who called himself her husband but treated her like his captive. But she couldn’t. No one could know. Not yet.
“I’m fine,” Gwen said lightly, waving it off. “Just needed to get out and hang out. That’s all.”
