Chapter 73

Syria’s POV

“Hey, are you there?”

I kept cursing under my breath, unable to stop the panic creeping up my spine.

My hands started shaking as I realized how unnaturally quiet everything had become. It was the kind of silence that felt heavy, like the air itself was pressing down on my chest.

I stood there, trying to convince myself it was nothing. Maybe the driver had just stepped away for a second. Maybe he’d be back any moment. But even as I tried to think that, my heart was pounding so fast it hurt. Why wasn’t he saying anything? Why couldn’t I hear footsteps or even the rustle of his jacket?

I waited.

I told myself to be patient.

It was safer to stay inside the car than to go wandering out into the dark. So I sat there, clutching the edge of the seat, trying to breathe slowly. I must have waited over ten minutes, but every second that ticked by just made the dread worse. My chest tightened until it felt like I couldn’t get enough air.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. My body