Chapter 38 Is This Peace?

• After that day, Evangelina didn't hear much from Aemilio or his brother Erico. Neither of them called for her, and she hadn't seen them since. Erico mostly stayed locked in his room, and Aemilio had gone away on business. For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of peace, a quiet relief that washed over her days. The constant fear of being forced into something she didn't want seemed to ease, knowing they were not close by. The absence of their presence was like a weight lifted off her chest.
• Evangelina had been able to spend her days in a kind of solitude. She wasn't forced to attend to anyone's needs or endure their disturbing advances. She could finally breathe. Though the memories of past days still haunted her, the silence brought her a small slice of safety, even if it was temporary. Her mind no longer raced with fear every time she heard a door open or someone's footsteps echo down the hallway.
• Days passed like this, in calm isolation. One morning, after resting and enjoying a quiet breakfast, she heard a knock on her door. Evangelina froze for a moment, her heart speeding up slightly. No one usually knocked. Most people barged in without permission, treating her space as though it belonged to them. For a brief second, she wondered if it was Bruno. He was one of the few who showed her any decency in this house. Despite being Aemilio's right-hand man, Bruno had never mistreated her like the others. He had a way of speaking to her that didn't make her feel small or worthless, though his presence still unnerved her.