When they stepped out of the study, the hallway air felt warmer. The quiet of the room they had just left followed them for a few steps, as though the study itself had settled again the moment the door was closed behind them. Gio carried the document box carefully against his side while checking the screen of his tablet with his other hand.
"These should be enough for the property manager," he said.
Arianne nodded once. "We'll send copies later."
The conversation ended there.
They returned to the living room. The tall windows along the far wall allowed the afternoon sunlight to fall across the polished floorboards. Dust moved lazily in the beams of light, rising whenever someone crossed the room.
The piano stood near the window exactly where they had left it earlier. Its dark wooden surface reflected the light softly. No one spoke about it.
