Chapter 16

AMANDA

I arrived home tired enough to collapse on my bed. In big cities like Rome, it was common to leave early in the morning and return when the sun was setting, mostly because everything was far away, I won't lie about the explanation. Strangely, the atmosphere was very quiet, but then I remembered it was a weekday, so people with regular jobs were probably at work.

I thought about taking a relaxing shower, but the exhaustion was such that I didn't have the energy for it. I didn't prepare dinner either; I ended up ordering takeout. The food would arrive in forty minutes, so I took off my clothes and changed in the meantime. I hadn't worn makeup today, but I still continued with my skincare routine. I liked to have smooth and clear skin, so I was very strict about it. I washed my face with oatmeal soap, removing any trace of makeup, no matter how minimal, and impurities. Once I was ready, I applied a few drops of hya*****ic ac*d.

I want to clarify that I only rec