the path around the grounds was longer than sabine had expected. she'd started her run just after dawn, breath visible in sharp puffs as she found her rhythm on the winding track. winter in new zealand was different, colder than she'd anticipated, the kind of bite that cut through her workout jacket when the wind picked up across the open sections of the complex. she slowed near what looked like a playground, checking her watch. twenty minutes out, almost back to the residential area, her phone buzzed against her arm but she ignored it — luxembourg city could wait until she'd had coffee. as she rounded the final corner near her new house, she nearly collided with someone else on the footpath. sabine stopped in her tracks, steadying herself, and managed what she hoped was an appropriately apologetic smile. "sorry," she said, still catching her breath. "didn't expect to find anyone else out here this early."
