Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the wheel, tendons straining beneath her skin, toes pressing harder against the accelerator as if speed itself could outrun the storm chasing her. Streetlights stretched into pale, trembling lines beyond the windshield, their glow warping and bending as the engine roared beneath her, competing with the thunder tearing through the sky.
She weaved through passing cars with reckless precision, jaw clenched so tightly it ached. Every breath burned. Darkness swallowed the road ahead as the tires screeched, rubber screaming against wet asphalt while the wheel jerked sharply to the right—the familiar path leading straight to her penthouse. Home. Safety. Just a little farther.
Then her phone rang.
The sound sliced through her focus like a blade.
