Her expression softened. She placed the jacket over a chair and went back to preparing dinner. Marcos lingered beside it, curious. Something about the weight of the jacket felt unusual.
He reached into one of the inner pockets. His hand brushed against a thick, sealed envelope.
Anna opened the envelope with careful fingers. Inside were neatly stacked bills—more money than she had seen in many years. Thirty thousand euros.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The money could lift a tremendous burden. It could pay off debts, cover bills, even give Marcos opportunities she had always wanted for him.
But Anna slowly closed the envelope and placed it on the table.
“This isn’t ours,” she said quietly. “We’ll return it first thing tomorrow.”
The next morning, they walked together to the elegant building where Marcos had seen the man. Marble floors gleamed beneath gold lighting. The doorman looked them over with hesitation before calling upstairs.
Moments later, the elevator opened, and the man stepped out.
The instant his gaze met Anna’s, the air shifted.
Continue reading…
