CHAPTER NINETEEN

The city lights flickered past as the car glided smoothly through the streets. The tension between us had lessened, but something still lingered beneath the surface—unspoken words, unanswered questions.

Marco sat beside me, his elbow resting against the door, fingers lightly tapping against his knee. His gaze was fixed ahead, but I could feel his attention on me, like a gravitational pull I couldn’t escape.

“You barely ate today, did you?” His voice was quiet, but there was an edge of certainty to it.

I hesitated before admitting, “I wasn’t really hungry.”

His jaw twitched. “You need to take care of yourself, Mia.”

I let out a soft laugh, though there was no humor in it. “Says the man who probably hasn’t had a full meal in days.”

Marco smirked, finally turning to face me. “Touché.”