Vance’s POV
The night air was cool as I slid behind the wheel of the car, Mona settling into the passenger seat beside me. I could feel the tension between us, thick and palpable, though neither of us acknowledged it outright. She was playing her part, doing exactly what I expected her to do—hesitating, questioning herself. It was the only game I knew how to play with her, and she was never one to walk away once she was this far in.
“Where are we going?” Mona asked, her voice soft but betraying a hint of anxiety. I could tell she was trying to mask it, trying to maintain some semblance of control, but I knew better. She wouldn’t admit it, but she was curious. That curiosity would drive her, just like it always had.
“You’ll see,” I said, my voice low and laced with a kind of mystery that
