Chapter 44

• POV ADAM SCOTT
• The morning had already dawned in the city sky when I found myself alone in my apartment, enveloped by uncertainty about Catarina's whereabouts. The night that should have been marked by introductions and joy had turned into an agonizing wait, and I could no longer ignore the growing unease in my chest.
• Catarina didn't show up for the dinner that would have been the perfect opportunity for my parents to meet her. All attempts to contact her had been in vain, her voicemail full like a silent echo of our lost communication. As the hours passed, concern turned into desperation, and the decision to go to her apartment became inevitable.