Blood-red roses trail from floor to ceiling, crawling up the stone walls. Here the blooms are bursting in a thick carpet of velvety red, and I see the shock on Nadir’s face before he turns to look at me, his gaze sweeping me from head to toe as if he’s seeing me for the first time. The air is sweet and fresh, and I inhale deeply, overcome with an emotion for which I have no name.
