The clean black sedan glided smoothly along the winding roads leading away from the Vexley mansion, dark windows hiding its passengers from the afternoon sun. In the back seat, Eliana leaned into the leather, eyes fixed on the blur of manicured lawns and bursting gardens outside. They looked too perfect, too far removed from her own humble reality. Her mind was still tangled in everything that had just happened with Rafael, leaving her eyes distant and clouded.
Up front, James kept his usual calm, his neatly combed dark hair and glasses giving him that dependable, bookish air. Every now and then he checked the mirror, catching glimpses of her distant stare. He didn't push, but the concern was there.
The car was filled with the steady hum of the engine and the faint, expensive scent of polished leather. Outside, the sun blazed hard, turning the road into a shimmering mirage. Finally, James cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
