Chapter 26

Max’s POV

The rhythmic hum of the bus should have been soothing, but it only made me more restless. I sat near the window, staring out into the pitch-black night, the dim glow of the bus’s interior lights barely cutting through the darkness outside.

Something was wrong.

Harry’s call had been cut off before he could tell me what had happened. My phone was destroyed. My passport had conveniently disappeared. And now, here I was, stranded on a bus in the middle of nowhere, heading toward a wedding that someone clearly didn’t want me to attend.

Coincidence? Not a chance.

I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples. My gut told me this wasn’t random. Someone had gone through a lot of trouble to make sure I didn’t make it back home.

The question was—who?

Was it Hester? My charming, psychotic ex who had been wreaking havoc the moment she walked back into my life? Or maybe Julian, my ever-so-clever younger brother who was suddenly interested in my affairs again?

Hell, maybe it was someone from Sienna’s past—her family, or one of the countless enemies she’d made along the way.

I glanced around the bus. It was mostly empty, save for a few passengers scattered about. A businessman snored a few rows ahead, his head lolling against the window. A couple whispered to each other toward the back, oblivious to everything around them.

Just as I was about to shake off the paranoia, the bus jolted and came to a rough stop.

My eyes snapped to the front.

The driver muttered a curse under his breath before grabbing a flashlight and stepping out. I didn’t want to think much about it. It was just a little joke, one that would amount to nothing. I waved it off and kept myself busy staring out into the window.

I sat still for a moment, listening. The engine was silent. Too silent.

Something gnawed at me. I was surprised it wasn’t gnawing at anyone else.

I was nervous.

I pulled my jacket tighter and got up, making my way toward the front. The driver was already outside, inspecting the vehicle.

I stepped off the bus, the cold night air hitting me immediately. We were in the middle of nowhere.

“What’s the issue?”

The driver looked up, startled. “Didn’t expect a passenger to care.”

“I’m not a regular passenger,” I said dryly.

He stared closer and stuck a flashlight to my face, then I saw he could place the face quite well.

“I know you, though. You’re a celebrity.”

I’m flattered. I thought dryly as I rolled my eyes.

The man sighed and ran a hand over his balding head. “Engine’s acting up. Thought it might’ve been overheating, but it’s not that.”

I peered over his shoulder, watching as he fiddled with the hood of the bus. “Battery issue?”

“Doubt it,” he muttered. “This isn’t normal wear and tear. Something’s been messed with.”

I frowned, stepping closer. “What do you mean?”

He motioned for me to look. “See this?” He pointed at a severed wire near the engine. “This was cut.”

I stared at the wire, a slow realization creeping in.

“Someone did this on purpose.”

The driver sighed, nodding. “Looks like it.”

A cold wave of unease settled over me. My phone was stolen. My passport went missing. And now, my bus is conveniently sabotaged in the middle of nowhere?

Yeah. No way in hell this was a coincidence.

I straightened up, scanning the dark hills surrounding us. The road was empty, eerily silent. No passing cars, no distant city lights. Just open land and the feeling of being watched.

“This isn’t good,” I muttered.

The driver gave me a wary look. “You think someone’s after you?”

I didn’t answer immediately. “It’s starting to look that way.”

He let out a nervous chuckle. “Well, ain’t that just my luck? Of all the rich folks to have on my bus, I get the one with enemies.”

“Fantastic luck,” I deadpanned.

He pulled out his phone. “I’ll call for assistance, but service is crap out here.”

“Of course it is,” I muttered. Whatever the person in question had set up in the bus, he had timed it perfectly in such a way that I’d be trapped in a place I won’t be able to return from.

I looked back at the bus, the passengers inside unaware of the potential danger. If someone had gone this far to stop me, what was next?

A second attack?

I clenched my jaw. No. I am not dying in a damn travel bus.

“Listen,” I said to the driver. “Can you get this fixed?”

“Not out here,” he admitted. “We’d need a proper mechanic, and that could take hours.”

Hours I didn’t have.

I exhaled sharply. “If someone doesn’t want me making it back, I can’t sit here and wait for whatever they have planned next.”

The driver gave me a long look before nodding. “I get it. You got somewhere important to be.”

“Extremely important.”

He scratched his chin. “There’s a small town about ten miles down the road. If we can hitch a ride or flag someone down, you might be able to catch a private car from there.”

I looked out into the darkness. “And how exactly do you plan on hitching a ride when there’s no one passing through?”

The driver shrugged. “Optimism?”

I sighed.

The driver chuckled and gave me a tap. “I wish we could find a way to get you out there as soon as possible but I’m sorry. I’m not sure there is anything I can do.”

“By the time it’s daybreak, how long will it take before we solve this issue and begin our way back home?”

He gave it a brief thought. “We should leave here by noon.”

I scoffed.

There was no way I was going to wait for that.

This was going to be a long night.

But one thing was certain—whoever was trying to stop me had underestimated just how determined I could be.

And they were going to regret it.