You step into the back of the cab, the door clicking shut with a soft thud. The familiar hum of the city outside fades as the car pulls away from the curb, and for the first time in what feels like years, you take a deep breath. The weight of the decision you’ve just made hangs heavy, but the relief is undeniable. You’re leaving. No more pretending. No more suffocating under Derek’s watchful gaze.

The driver’s eyes remain focused on the road, his profile just visible in the rearview mirror. For a moment, you let yourself relax—until something in the air shifts. The smooth, controlled silence in the cab feels unnervingly familiar.

Without missing a beat, the driver speaks, his voice calm and steady. “Going somewhere?”

Your heart stutters, and you look up at the mirror again, unable to shake the unsettling feeling that the voice sounds too familiar. You squint, almost expecting the reflection to change. But it’s him.

Derek.

His eyes, cold and calculating, flicker to meet yours in the mirror. The small smirk on his lips is enough to make your stomach drop. It’s not anger or surprise in his expression. It’s something else—almost like he’s been waiting for this moment, knowing you wouldn’t be able to escape so easily.