Chapter 182

Zoe's POV

I climbed the stairs, leaving Xavier in the garage. He needed time to calm down. My forgiveness—if it ever came—wouldn’t be immediate. That was his problem, not mine.

He wanted to tell me something about Claire, probably to convince me I had nothing to worry about. But I didn’t care about her. I was done caring about him. His past didn’t matter to me anymore.

The only thing that mattered was getting to those coordinates. I had no idea what I would find there, but it was my only lead. My mother left me that clue for a reason. I wouldn’t ignore it. A decade had passed. Anything could have changed. But I needed answers.

I rushed through the house, grabbing only the essentials. Clothes, water, a flashlight, a knife. I packed quickly, like I had done this before. Because I had. Running was second nature now.

"She’s really doing this," Aunt Julie muttered from the kitchen doorway.

I ignored her. Nothing to say.

Xavier, however, had other plans. By the time I reached the garage, my