Salima stepped into her bedroom, the door clicking shut behind her with a soft thud.The house was silent, the kind of heavy quiet that pressed in after a long, draining night.She slipped off her earrings, setting them on the dresser, then reached for the zipper of her emerald blouse.A knock echoed through the empty hallway—three sharp knocks on the front door downstairs.She froze, hand still on the zipper. It was late. Too late for visitors.Salima pulled a scarf tight around her shoulders and walked downstairs, bare feet silent on the marble. At the door, she paused, listening.“Who is it?” she called, voice steady but edged.“It’s me,” Victor answered, low and familiar through the wood. “Victor.”She hesitated for a long second, then unlocked the door and pulled it open just enough to see him standing on the porch, coat collar turned up against the December chill.“What do you want, Victor?” she asked, her tone cool, arms folded.He looked tired, the lines around his eyes deeper
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