Liana's POV
The car ride felt too motionless, too quiet. The motor ran, ever-present reminder of the world outside, but in this bubble, the hush between us pressed down on me. Dante was beside me, his eyes firmly fixed on outside the tinted glass, as if he could exclude everything else but the road.
I looked out the window, expecting at best to see a city whipping by, but instead, we were surrounded by masses. The sort of masses only a man like Dante attracted—press, fans, photographers, all milling, all staring, all waiting. Their lenses snapped and whirred like a swarm of buzzing flies, poised to catch even the faintest movement, the briefest moment.
I willed myself not to flinch, to look away from the flashes. I caught myself, reflected in the window glass—false smile pasted on, shou
