A red silk blindfold

Rene sat in silence, gripping the steering wheel as the car moved through the dark, quiet streets. The sound of the engine hummed softly, the only noise breaking the tense air between him and Maria.

She hadn’t said a word since they left the party. Her arms were crossed, and she stared out the window, the reflection of passing streetlights flickering in her eyes.

Even though they were far away from the resort, she could still feel the weight of everything that had happened, her emotions knotted inside her, a mixture of anger, confusion, and exhaustion.

She wanted to scream, to tell Rene how reckless he’d been, how much his decision to leave Gunnar’s protection worried her, but the words wouldn’t come. Not yet.

The silence between them stretched until something caught Maria’s attention. She furrowed her brow and glanced at the road ahead. They were no longer heading toward home.

Her frustration boiled over into confusion. “Kia… We are going the wrong way?” she asked, her voice quiet