Once I hit send, I stood up, forcing a polite smile onto my face despite the anger I was feeling. “It was... nice meeting you,” I said, though the words felt hollow. He didn’t even look up from his laptop, and I didn’t wait for a reply.
I walked out of the restaurant, my steps faster than I intended, but I needed to get out of there. The second I reached the parking lot, the driver was already waiting by the car. He opened the door for me, and I slipped inside without a word.
As we pulled out and drove onto the road, I leaned back against the seat, letting out a long breath. The weight of everything was settling in. We drove in silence, the city passing by in a blur as I headed back home, feeling more uncertain than ever about what came next.
On the way home, I found myself gripping the
