The air in the car was thick with tension. Every mile we drove felt heavier than the last, as if the city itself pressed down on us. My fingers dug into the edge of the seat, knuckles white. My chest burned, not from fear, but from anticipation. Every instinct in me screamed that nothing would be the same after tonight.
Adrian didn’t speak. His jaw was tight, eyes fixed on the road, but I could feel the storm behind them. Something dangerous was building, and I was trapped in the eye of it. I wanted to ask questions, demand answers, but the weight of unspoken threats kept my voice locked inside.
“We can’t go back,” I said finally, my words rough against the silence.
“No,” Adrian agreed. “Not yet. Not until we know exactly who’s behind this.”
The headlights of a car appeared in the dist
