Book 2: The Women who Watched Herself

In The Woman Who Watched Herself, art restorer Sofia Bianchi travels to Oaxaca, expecting a routine commission: revive a Spanish colonial portrait for a wealthy patron. But the moment she lifts the dust cloth, she finds more than cracked paint and faded colors. Beneath the noblewoman’s serene face lies another woman—dagger in hand, defiant eyes burning through centuries of erasure. As Sofia works layer by layer, she uncovers a hidden history of rebellion, murder, and a painter who embedded her sister’s story in secret. Each discovery draws Sofia deeper into a web of poisoned cups, family feuds, and warnings from strangers determined to keep the past buried. A mysterious monogram, Σ†B, links the painting to her own family’s legacy, forcing Sofia to question why this figure has appeared across continents and centuries. From candlelit haciendas to crumbling temples, Sofia must race to preserve a voice long silenced—before those guarding the secret strike again. Because in this mystery, the dead don’t rest quietly. They watch. And they remember. A richly layered art mystery, The Woman Who Watched Herself blends historical intrigue, gothic atmosphere, and a relentless quest for truth.