The car rolled silently through the streets, the city lights flashing past in a blur of neon and shadows. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension. Alison sat in the backseat next to Noah, her body pressed against the door, as if creating physical distance could somehow make everything less real. Her head leaned against the cool glass of the window, eyes staring blankly at the passing scenery. Her phone lay forgotten in her lap, her fingers absentmindedly tracing its edges.
Noah sat beside her, his gaze shifting from the passing lights to her silent figure. He could feel the weight of her exhaustion, her defeat. It was palpable in the air between them. He wanted to reach out, to break the heavy silence that had settled over them since they escaped the reporters. But what cou
