30 An Unexpected Surprise

~Winter~

Our first stop was the jewellery stores. A bitter taste rose in my mouth as we entered the shopping avenue. Memories flooded back of the night we got caught, the very shop where Summer and I had attempted burglary. Shame coursed through me, a visceral reaction to my own past recklessness. Why had I thought robbing those stores was acceptable? Selfishness had clouded my judgment, and I hadn't considered the repercussions our actions would have on the store owners.

Driving through the avenue, I felt a weight of guilt settle over me. I imagined the shopkeepers peering through their windows, recognising me, condemning my past misdeeds. The shame was palpable, and I couldn't escape the feeling that somehow, they could see me, that they knew exactly what I had done.

“It's best you forget about it,” Noah's voice cut through my misery.

“They don’t know you. They never saw your face. We had the footage erased and the matter buried,” he continued, surprising me. Why would Noah and S