Dani:
The drive back to my house felt different. The streets blurred past us, but the silence in the car was suffocating. The weight of what we'd just learned—the mayor's resolve, the cold indifference in his eyes—settled heavily in my chest. My thoughts were a swirling mess while I took in the town that had no idea what was coming for it: the diner, the park, the community center, and every home in between. If I didn't figure this out, it could all be gone.
Ryan's fingers drummed absently on the steering wheel as if trying to focus. His brow furrowed in thought. I could feel the tension in the air, thick and heavy, as though the world around us was holding its breath, waiting for this damn storm to break.
I glanced at him, my pulse quickening. "What now?" I asked, my voice soft, but th
