The car tires crunched softly against the gravel as Melissa's vehicle came to a stop in front of the estate gates. Ava sat stiffly in the back seat, her shoulders aching and her head throbbing from hours of forced smiles, invasive questions, and the constant feeling of being watched. When the door opened and cool air brushed against her skin, it felt like the first real breath she had taken all day.
"Such a lovely outing," Melissa said cheerfully, as if she hadn't spent the entire afternoon exhausting Ava to the point of numbness. "We'll do this again soon."
Ava forced a polite smile and stepped out of the car. "Thank you for… today."
Taylor handed her phone back with an expression Ava couldn't quite read. "Next time, no disappearing acts," she said lightly, though the words felt anything but harmless.
