Chapter 44

• The drive back to Charlotte’s house was silent; the world outside was nothing but streaks of cold light and shadows. Neither of them spoke. The conversation from minutes ago played relentlessly in Charlotte’s mind, like an ugly echo she couldn’t silence.
• She told herself it didn’t matter—not his words, not his arrogance, not the ache he still caused. But that was a lie. No matter how much she denied it, Howard’s words always found a way to pierce through the cracks she tried so hard to seal. He still had that power—unwanted, undeniable.
• She kept her eyes fixed on the dark stretch of road ahead, refusing to look at him. The silence between them was heavy and brittle, like glass waiting to shatter. In her mind, his voice returned—cold, calculating. “So tell me, Charlotte, what’s your answer to my agreement?”