61. The Reality of Love

SOFIA

I didn't say a word all the way back to my apartment. The city kept moving outside the window, oblivious to the fact that my whole fucking life had just changed. People crossed streets, taxis honked, and lovers kissed on sidewalks. Somewhere out there, someone was probably laughing, lighting a cigarette or scrolling through TikTok, while I sat motionless in the backseat of an SUV, my heartbeat still caught somewhere between adrenaline and disbelief.

By the time I unlocked the front door and stepped inside, the silence was pressing down on my shoulders. I dropped my bag on the floor and kicked off my heels, then I walked straight to the couch without even turning on the light. I just sat there, staring at nothing and thinking about the last few hours.

I could still feel the cold weight of the revolver in my palm. I could still taste the adrenaline of that final click, and still see Adrian's face in the dark looking so calm and so certain as he raised the pistol and fired into th