Chapter 5 - The Saltwater Routine
The coastal town of San Valerio was a place where people went to be forgotten. Its streets were paved with sun-bleached cobblestones, and the buildings were painted in fading pastel colors that chipped away under the relentless assault of the sea breeze.
For Liam, it was paradise.
They assumed new identities. He became Arthur Vance, a quiet man with calloused hands, and Lily became Maya. The first few weeks were a delicate dance of establishing a routine. Liam rented a small, weather-beaten cottage on the edge of a cliff overlooking the harbor.
Every morning, they woke up to the sound of seagulls. Liam made eggs and toast, and they sat on the small wooden porch together.
"Can we go to the market today, Papa?" Lily asked one morning, her mouth full of toast.
May you like
"After I finish at the docks, little bird," Liam replied, wiping a crumb from her cheek.
He had secured a job repairing fishing boat engines. It was grueling, honest work that left him covered in grease and smelling of diesel, but it paid in cash and required no background checks. More importantly, it kept his hands busy and his mind away from the shadows of the Harrison estate.
