Chapter 56 — Ashes in Her Lungs
They left before the sun had fully set.
Jay packed in silence, every move sharp and calculated. Lena followed his lead, though her hands trembled each time she zipped a bag or glanced out the window. The message still hung in the back of her mind, echoing like a siren.
> You should’ve stayed in the fire…
As they drove through the empty roads, the city lights flickering behind them, Lena turned to Jay. “Where are we going?”
He didn’t answer right away. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Somewhere they won’t expect. A property I haven’t touched in years.”
Lena watched his profile — the firm jaw, the furrowed brow. He looked like a man preparing for war. “You’re scared,” she said quietly.
His knuckles whitened. “I’m scared of losing you.”
The
