The car was silent except for the occasional sound of Mason tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. Nico remained glued to his phone, completely unfazed, while Celia sat stiffly in her seat. Her stomach churned with unease, a growing sense of dread creeping over her. She didn’t know if it was just paranoia or a real instinct warning her that something was wrong, but either way, she couldn’t shake the feeling. Her palms grew clammy, and before she realized it, beads of sweat had begun to form on her forehead.
Mason, catching sight of her tense expression through the rearview mirror, spoke in a calm voice. “Relax, Celia. You are in safe hands.”
Celia swallowed hard, nodding slightly, but his words did little to ease the tight knot in her chest.
Just then, her phone rang, bre
