ISABELLA
The ride back to the manor felt like an eternity.
I sat in the back seat of Ethan’s car, my fingers still trembling against my lap, my breath coming in uneven gasps. The air around me felt suffocating, heavy with an unspoken fear that clung to my skin like a second layer.
The car.
The blinding headlights.
The way the tires screeched against the pavement, coming straight at me.
If I hadn’t moved at the last second…
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the memory away.
Ethan, sitting in the driver’s seat, didn’t speak. But his grip on the steering wheel was tight, his knuckles white as he maneuvered through the darkened roads.
I knew he wanted answers.
But I had none.
I wanted to believe it had been an accident. That some reckless driver had simply lost control. But deep dow
