A heavy silence hung in the air. The heater made the car feel stuffy. Joshua tugged at his tie and cracked the window open a bit. A rush of cool air swept in, clearing the atmosphere instantly.
Allison hesitated before speaking, “You heard what my dad was implying earlier…”
But just as she started, Joshua floored the accelerator. Allison was thrown forward, her words swallowed by the rush. She pressed her lips together and silently buckled her seatbelt.
Clearly upset, Joshua drove like a man on a mission. Allison sat in the passenger seat, her heart pounding.
…
The bodyguard trailing them jolted, “Whoa! Where the hell did boss’s car go? It vanished in a blink!”
His partner, sweating bullets, shot back, “Seriously? How’d we lose them?”
Frustrated, the driver slammed his fist against the steering wheel, “Damn it! Boss’s driving like a maniac in that Bugatti. No way this heap could keep up! Now what?”
The other bodyguard quickly pulled out his phone, “I’ll call him and see where he’s headed.”
The black Bugatti roared down the highway, the world outside blurring by in a dizzying rush. The thunderous roar of the supercar drowned out the faint buzz of a phone alert.
Allison’s heart was in her throat, her face pale as she clutched the seatbelt, “Joshua, slow down.”
Joshua’s gaze was locked on the road, his jaw clenched, his profile tight and stern, clearly in a bad mood. He didn’t respond but gradually eased off the gas.
Allison’s tense muscles began to relax as she looked out the window. The surroundings were unfamiliar. This wasn’t the route to Windswept House, nor was it headed to the Fisher estate.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
Joshua replied tersely, “Windswept House isn’t safe anymore. You can’t go back there for now. I’m taking you to a safe house in the countryside. I’ll pick you up once things are sorted out here.”
“Is it far?”
The bodyguard on the other end sounded urgent, “Sir, where are you and Ms. Allison? We lost you.”
“I’m at—”
Before he could finish, a loud “bang” erupted as a bullet struck the car, and a black Aston Martin appeared in the rearview mirror.
Joshua swerved sharply, dodging a bullet aimed at the tire, which instead hit the car body. Thankfully, the tire was unscathed.
Allison let out a startled scream. The Bugatti’s tires screeched against the pavement.
Joshua pushed Allison down into the seat, “Allie, stay down!” Just as she ducked, another bullet whizzed by. If not for Joshua’s quick reflexes, it could have been fatal.
The bullet sliced through the passenger seat, hitting the windshield, which immediately cracked and spiderwebbed.
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