Chapter 43: Emma

As I navigated my car along the winding path through the woods leading to Liam Harrington's place, I couldn't help but chuckle at my own driving skills. After nearly a decade in New York City, where my main mode of transportation was my own two feet or the occasional subway ride, driving in the rural setting of Maple Falls felt like relearning an old dance – familiar yet oddly clumsy.

The dense forest canopy stretched above the narrow road, the dappled sunlight playing hide and seek through the leaves. I glanced at my phone, only to find the dreaded 'no service' icon glaring back at me. "Great," I muttered to myself, "straight out of a horror movie." But despite my sarcasm, there was a thrill in this little adventure, a throwback to the days when life was less about WiFi signals and more about the journey itself.