The days at the Santa Clara convent followed their course like the beads of a rosary, each one identical to the next, each a link in the unending chain of devotion. Sofia had lost track of external time—of that world out there spinning in its own orbit of vanities and torments. Here, within the stone walls, the clock marked only the hours of prayer, meals, work, and rest. But what she did not know was that time, stubbornly, continued to pass outside. And that it exacted its price.It was a Tuesday afternoon when the convent's gate bell rang. Sofia was in the cloister, watering the rosemary pots that bordered the inner courtyard, when she heard the distant sound of the bronze bell. It was not an ordinary ring—it was quicker, more urgent, as if the bell itself were distressed."Sofia!" called Sister Margaret, appearing in the arcade with a pale face. "There is a man at the gate. A gentleman. He says he is your father."The watering can fell from Sofia's hands with a metallic clatter. Wa
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2026-08-20
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