Chapter 28 Smoke And Mirrors

• The ride back to the mansion was a blur of headlights, rain, and silence.
• Élise sat in the back seat beside Antoine, her wet hair clinging to her cheek, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Jonas drove, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror every few seconds, while Mateo spoke quietly into his comms, updating someone on their return.
• But between Antoine and Élise,there was nothing. Only the rhythmic slap of wipers across the glass, slicing through the storm like a heartbeat that wouldn’t steady.