Vanessa's POV.

The car ride was suffocatingly silent, except for the low hum of the engine and the faint sound of my own breath, coming out unsteady. I could still feel the weight of people's stares, the shock of recognition flashing in their eyes as I fled from the store. My pulse was still erratic, the adrenaline refusing to leave my system.

I clutched the sleeves of my hoodie, my knuckles white as I kept myself pressed against the door. The man beside me, my so-called savior, hadn’t spoken a word. His jaw was tense, and the sharp cut of his profile flickered in and out of the streetlights as...