The rain had stopped by morning, but the sky was still heavy with gray clouds.
Aria walked through the long driveway with nothing but the clothes on her back and that single USB drive clutched in her hand.
Her shoes were soaked, her hair loose, sticking to her face. She didn't care.
She just wanted to leave.
Leave everything.
The house. The lies. The men who called it love but built it on secrets and blood.
She didn't even notice the car that slowed beside her until the window rolled down.
"Aria."
It was Elias.
He looked tired, like he hadn't slept in days. There was a dark bruise on his jaw, but his eyes softened when he saw her.
"Get in," he said quietly.
She hesitated for a moment, her heart torn. But her legs were shaking and her breath came in shallow gasps.
So she opened the door and sat beside him.
The engine hummed to life, and they drove down the road without another word.
The silence between them was loud, full of things they couldn't say.
