The drive to the private airport felt like a surreal nightmare that refused to end.
Beyond the tinted windows of the SUV, the coastal town disappeared beneath cold predawn rain while distant harbor lights faded one by one into the darkness. The cliffs overlooking the ocean slowly vanished behind them, taking with them the fragile life Tessa had spent four long years building piece by piece. Somewhere back there remained her favorite coffee shops, the waterfront where she had walked with Leo, and the comforting illusion that she was nothing more than an ordinary woman entitled to a quiet life.
Inside the vehicle, silence settled heavily between them.
The air carried the scents of antiseptic, expensive leather, and the faint metallic trace of blood.
Roman sat beside her.
Every turn of t
