The car sped through the rain-soaked streets, tires cutting sharp grooves into the slick asphalt as Alessia gripped the edge of the seat, her knuckles white with tension. The stranger’s eyes flicked constantly between the rearview mirror and the road, every muscle coiled like a spring ready to snap. Behind them, the city’s neon glow faded into an ominous blur, swallowed by the storm’s relentless downpour.
Lorenzo sat rigid beside her, silent but alert, the cold fury simmering beneath his calm exterior like a volcano waiting to erupt. His presence was a tether, grounding her even as the chaos of betrayal and danger spiraled beyond control.
Alessia’s mind raced. Every step of this twisted dance felt like walking deeper into a trap she couldn’t see — but the stranger’s urgent intervention w
