The journey back to the villa was an oppressive silence, the kind that wrapped itself around them like a heavy fog. Damon’s hand rested confidently on Mara’s thigh, a gesture that usually brought her comfort, but today it felt like a lifeline to a stormy sea. Beneath his calm demeanor, she sensed a tumult of tension, a barely concealed unease that crackled in the air like static electricity.

Mara gazed out the window, the scenery a blur of color as her thoughts spiraled back to the ...