| Serena's POV |
I don't say a word as the driver pulls away from the reception venue. I sit beside Gryphon in stifling silence, arms crossed, body turned ever so slightly away from him, the tension in the car as thick as the makeup on my face.
He doesn't speak either, but I can feel him watching me. Observing me like I'm a puzzle he's not sure he wants to solve or destroy. His presence is suffocating, yet oddly grounding. Maybe it's the silence after the storm of the night. Or maybe it's the realization that for the first time in forever... I don't have an escape plan.
Not anymore.
The city lights blur past the tinted windows as I press my injured thumb subtly against the edge of my clutch. I can feel the sting beneath the bandage. A reminder. A lifeline. A warning.
We finally pull u
