The silence after Daniel’s words was deafening.
Rose sat frozen in the passenger seat, her fingers gripping the seatbelt as though it might anchor her. Her voice broke in a whisper.
“Me? Why would they want me?”
Daniel’s jaw worked as he leaned back against the headrest, running a hand over his face. He looked older suddenly, as though the truth itself weighed him down.
“You think this started because of me,” he said finally, his tone quiet. “Because of my past. But, Rose…” His eyes met hers, dark and unflinching. “It started long before I walked into your life.”
Her chest tightened. “You’re saying I’ve been in danger all along?”
He nodded once.
The forest outside was a black sea, branches bending in the wind. Rose barely noticed. Her pulse thundered in her ears, louder than the nig
