The Strange Woman

"I sincerely apologize for the disturbance. Should I have her removed?" The attendant whispered urgently, clearly flustered. As a staff member at the Golden Rose Hotel, she had no idea how the woman had slipped in unnoticed. Her presence was an anomaly, and the attendant's professionalism was being tested.

Oliver and Violanda exchanged a brief glance and shook their heads. It wasn't out of sympathy but a shared instinct that told them this woman wasn't just some beggar. There was something about her that made them hesitate to dismiss her outright.

"Please, don’t send me away yet," the woman said with a sly grin. "Once I’m finished here, I might have something interesting for you—especially you," she added, her gaze lingering on Oliver before she went back to eating. Her pale, delicate hands moved with surprising grace as she piled food onto her plate, savoring each bite.