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CHAPTER 19

Author: Angela Ray
last update Last Updated: 2024-12-24 00:15:59

A New Start

Naomi's POV

The flat was simple, with peeling paint and scuffed floors that revealed tales of past occupants. Though it wasn't much, it belonged to me. The calm was a welcome relief after weeks of turmoil. Yet, the silence was also unnerving.

The only chair beside the window caught my My duffel bag sat beside it, the last remnant of a life I was trying to leave behind. I inhaled deeply, ignoring the memories that were about to come flooding back.

“This is home now,” I said aloud, my voice breaking the stillness.

But even as I said it, doubt lingered.

The following morning, the room was bathed in a warm glow as sunlight filtered through the thin curtains. I had tossed and turned on the rough mattress all night, dreaming of harsh words and piercing glances.

I needed a distraction.

I dug inside my purse and took out my sketchbook. Its battered cover was familiar, almost reassuring. As I turned the pages, I noticed shards of a previous existence—drawings of Roman
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