Chapter 14

The dim streaks of dawn finally faded. At noon, Islanthia finally welcomed a few rays of warm sunshine. Penelope sat at a table on a cafe's porch while basking in the sunlight. The warmth made her squint in total relaxation. Steve was approaching the table with coffee and pastries when he noticed Penelope was starting to doze off. After quietly putting down the cups and plates, he moved to sit across from her. Penelope was a lot more different than her high school self. Back in high school, she was outgoing, radiant, and extremely bold. But now, Steve could sense how fragile and hesitant she actually was under her facade of relaxation. Then again, Penelope did lose her parents at the age of 19 before getting her heart cruelly broken by Eric. How could she still remain the same? As Steve gazed at Penelope's trembling lashes, he was quickly reminded by the fact that she was forced to live a life of solitude under a completely new identity. This realization made his heart throb in pa