The low hum of the engine filled the car, but the air between them was thick with unspoken tension. Alicia tried to focus on the blur of trees passing by, their towering forms looming like silent, hooded figures in the darkness. But it was impossible to ignore the presence beside her—Adrien's aura seemed to dominate the entire space, his effortless confidence wrapping around them both like a thick, suffocating fog.
She could feel his gaze on her, as if it was a tangible weight. Every now and then, his eyes flickered toward her hands, which she couldn't seem to keep still. They fidgeted nervously, tracing invisible patterns on the smooth fabric of her gown. The silence stretched on, growing heavier by the second.
Adrien's voice broke the stillness, smooth and teasing, as his gaze flicked toward her with an edge of amusement. "I'm not going to have you for dinner, if that's what you're worried about."
