Scene — Leaving the Hayes Estate and Returning Home (≈1000 words)
The night air was cool as Kane and Isadora stepped out of the Hayes estate. The heavy doors closed behind them, muffling the lingering voices inside. Kane's hand rested lightly on the small of her back as they walked toward the car. His jaw was tight, his silence deliberate.
Isadora slid into the passenger seat, her expression calm but her eyes sharp. Kane started the engine, the headlights cutting through the driveway. For a while, neither spoke. The tension from the dinner clung to them like smoke.
Halfway down the road, Isadora broke the silence. "He's paranoid. I could see it in the way he kept circling back, trying to sound composed."
Kane's grip on the wheel tightened. "He's covering himself. Laura's in prison, and he abandoned her the moment he realized her plan was collapsing. Now he's making sure no one ties him to it."
