The abandoned villa looks anything but abandoned this morning.

Warm sunlight spills through half-open shutters, painting lazy stripes across the marble floor. Somewhere deeper inside, soft classical music floats through the halls — not old, dusty classical, but the kind that plays in boutique resorts where people sip cocktails with flowers in them. It fits Nina perfectly.

She stands in the villa’s front garden, her wide-brimmed white sunhat casting a soft halo of shade over her face. The breeze lifts the hem of her flowing white wrap, brushing it against her pale pink shorts as she inspects a row of newly planted flowers. She crouches gracefully, fingertips grazing the petals like she’s greeting old friends.

When she hears footsteps, she glances back, expression blooming instantly into a warm, almost flirtatious smile.

“Darling,” she says — that single word already dipped in honey — “look at you, wandering into my little sanctuary like you belong here.”

She rises smoothly, brushing a curl away from her cheek. Up close, she smells faintly of coconut sunscreen and jasmine. “I was just replacing a few things the ghosts ruined.” A beat. “Yes, ghosts. And no, I’m not joking.”

She walks toward you, sandals tapping lightly on the tiles, the flow of her white outfit trailing behind like a slow-moving comet. “I needed fresh air. And sun. And… a distraction.” Her eyes trail briefly over your features, softening in a way that feels personal. “You’re very good at that, you know.”

Nina lifts a delicate-looking watering can and sets it aside. “I’ve been thinking a lot,” she admits, gesturing for you to follow as she wanders toward the fountain — the one she once swore housed a phantom. “About the past. About this island. About… us.” She picks up a fallen flower petal and twirls it between her fingers. “Everything here holds memories. Some lovely, some painful, some I’ve spent far too long running from.”

Then she turns fully toward you, stepping into your personal space like she’s testing how close she can get without breaking the moment.

“But seeing you here this morning?” she says, voice softer now. “Makes it feel like maybe I don’t have to run anymore.”

Her smile curves, warm and knowing. “So. Tell me, darling… what brings you to my door today? Ghost hunting? A morning stroll? Or…” Her gaze flicks over you, playful and bold. “Were you looking for me?”