CHAPTER 64: A DRIVE THROUGH MEMORIES

MARIE The soft hum of the taxi engine was the only sound in the quiet night. I sat in the backseat, the worn leather warm beneath me, and Charles sat beside me. The driver, an elderly Filipino man with thinning gray hair and a kind smile, focused on the road ahead. His hands gripped the steering wheel with a familiarity that spoke of years spent driving through the city. As the city lights blurred past the window, I found myself drifting into thoughts I had been trying to suppress. Damian's face flashed before my eyes, and I felt a familiar pang in my chest. It was impossible to escape him, even now. His deep brown eyes were always calculating, yet there were moments when they softened just for me. I could almost feel the warmth of his embrace, the way his lips brushed against my forehead. I turned slightly, glancing at Charles from the corner of my eye. He was leaning back, his head resting against the seat, eyes closed but not asleep. His face was etched with the pain that had bec