The evening was settling into darkness as Ethan's car sped down the empty streets, the faint hum of the engine his only companion.
The glow of the dashboard clock read 7:04 p.m. as he placed a call to his friend, Cole.
"Hey, Ethan," Cole answered almost immediately, his tone casual as always. "What's up? I was just—"
"Where are you?" Ethan cut him off, his voice clipped.
"Uh, I'm at home. Why? What's going on?"
"I'm coming over," Ethan replied curtly.
Cole hesitated for a second. "Sure, no problem. But—"
Ethan hung up before Cole could finish his sentence, holding the wheel tighter as Vivian's name flashed on his car screen.
Her call had been coming in nonstop since he left the estate, but he ignored it, his focus fixed on the road.
When he finally reached Cole's apartment, he pulled into the driveway, switched off the engine, and silenced Vivian's persistent calls by powering down his phone entirely.
