Sant pressed his finger to Vero’s lips and then placed his other finger on his lips. “Shh,” he whispered. “Follow me.”

Vero didn’t understand why Sant wanted her to follow him, but she could only nod and submit as Sant dragged her into a nearby room, which turned out to be a storage room for cleaning supplies.

They squeezed into the small space, and Vero almost toppled a pile of brooms in the corner when her foot accidentally bumped into them. Fortunately, Sant quickly caught them and carefully returned the brooms to their place.

They stood facing the door, with her back leaning against his chest, and she could faintly...