Chapter 95: Strained Bonds

The headlights of the transport vehicle pierced through the darkness as Ava and Lucas sped away from the Meridian facility. The roar of the engine drowned out the sound of Ava’s racing heart, but nothing could silence the thoughts spinning in her mind. They had barely escaped, and once again, Meridian had been waiting for them. The night sky stretched endlessly above them, but the oppressive weight of failure hung heavily in the air. The silence between Ava and Lucas was thick, a tense, unspoken battle simmering beneath the surface for days, if not weeks. Ava glanced at him out of the corner of her eye—his jaw was clenched, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, but darkness in his expression unsettled her. Lucas had come close to losing himself back at the facility, and Ava knew it. His anger and need for revenge drove him, tearing him apart. She could feel the distance between them growing, and it terrified her. “Lucas,” Ava said softly, her voice breaking through the engine's hum. “We