The salt-kissed wind whipped through Lila’s hair as she stood on the wooden deck of the beach house, the sound of crashing waves filling her soul like a long-awaited symphony. After months of soul-crushing deadlines, toxic meetings, and a breakup that still stung like salt in a fresh wound, this was supposed to be her escape. Seven days of solitude, bare feet in the sand, and silence broken only by the ocean’s eternal roar.She pushed open the unlocked sliding glass door, a satisfied smile curving her lips. The interior was even more breathtaking than the photos of the open-concept living space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the turquoise water, soft white linens, and the faint scent of coconut and sea breeze. Paradise.Lila dropped her suitcase near the kitchen island and let out a deep, grateful sigh. “Finally,” she whispered, already imagining long walks on the beach, books devoured on the balcony, and maybe just maybe remembering what it felt like to breathe again.She
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