Chapter 111

• The car speeds down a shadowy, tree-lined road. Each jolt throws me and Xavier against our seats, our cuffed arms and wrists still restrained behind our backs. Even when our shoulders collide, he won't meet my gaze. I consider trying to speak to him again, but the thought quickly evaporates. He has remained unresponsive during every attempt I made, and the officers in the front seat had already scolded me harshly. I felt Xavier tense beside me as I was reprimanded, yet he continues to treat me as if I am invisible.
• I lean slightly toward him, desperate to catch his attention, but he remains utterly expressionless and unemotional, casting me into a sea of fear. Where has Xavier gone? I need him—desperately.
• After what feels like endless miles on that dirt road, I struggle to contain the hysteria building within me since we were surrounded. It has intensified in the car, worsened by Xavier's emotional absence. There is no denying it: I am engulfed in hysteria. I could face anything with Xavier by my side— even the threat of death—but his emotional disconnect shatters me in a way I never experienced, even during the times he held me at a distance. I feel lost, unsure of what to do or think.