*Aria's POV*By noon, the bakery slowed down.Adrian sat drawing in his sketchbook at one of the tables, tongue poking out in concentration. He looked peaceful. Safe."Mommy," he asked suddenly, "can we get hot chocolate later?""Yes," I said, brushing his curls. "After your nap."He smiled proudly, holding up his drawing. It was of a goat. With very sharp horns."Very intimidating," I told him.He giggled and went back to coloring.I stepped outside to shake snow from the doormat.And froze.Across the square, two unfamiliar men stood near the inn entrance—both tall, both dressed in dark winter coats, hands buried in their pockets. Their posture was wrong. Heavily trained. Military-like. And one of them kept glancing at a phone in his hand.My blood turned to ice.More strangers.Three in twenty-four hours.This village never saw more than one in a month.Something was happening.My throat tightened. I slipped back into the bakery quickly and locked the door. Rino looked up, surprise
Last Updated : 2026-01-13 Read more