Caleb continued his routine—classes and work.

But he no longer said "eat and leave" each day. He remained silent—a silence more oppressive than rejection. His gaze had changed too—beyond annoyance and wariness lay something unreadable. Pity, perhaps, or deeper confusion.


This realization irritated Lydia.

She didn't need anyone's pity. Especially not his.

She had to break this strange calm, to prove she remained the invincible, bulletproof Lydia Thorne.


The opportunity came soon enough.

That afternoon, while browsing fashion news on his laptop, a social media notification popped up.


A short video from a gossip account: "Damian Sterling and New Flame Spend Weekend in The Hamptons."

In the video, Damian drove while Ella sat beside him, smiling blissfully with her head on his shoulder.

The moment Lydia recognized that car, her blood froze.

A cherry red 1965 Mustang.

Her car. The only thing her mother had left her.

Damian hadn't just betrayed her—he'd taken her most treasured possession, letting that woman sit in her mother's place.

This was the most direct violation, the most vicious provocation.

Blood rushed to her head. Her fingers grew cold, her breathing rapid. She slammed the laptop shut and frantically searched for her coat and spare keys. She would go to The Hamptons, take back her car, tear those smiling faces to shreds.

"Where are you going?" Caleb had just returned from work. Seeing her murderous expression, he immediately blocked her path.

"Get out of my way!" Her voice trembled with rage.

"In your current state, you won't solve anything." He gripped her wrist with unbreakable strength.

"What do you understand?" she shouted. "People like you in your clean world will never understand our filthy rules! That's MY car! What right does he have to drive it? What right does he have to let that woman sit in it?"

"Then call the police. Report it stolen."

"It's too late!" She tried to shake off his hand, eyes reddening with fury. "By the time police finish their procedures, he'll have returned it! He just wants to see me like this! I need it back TODAY!"

He fell silent, watching her trembling body and eyes filled with pain and hatred.

She thought her madness would scare him away.

But after a long silence, he made an unexpected decision.

"I'll go with you."

"What?"

"I said, I'll go with you," he released her hand and grabbed his coat, his tone brooking no argument. "I'm not helping you. I'm watching you, to prevent you from doing something stupid you can't undo."

Another red car—a used Ford Caleb borrowed from the garage—sped down the highway.

Inside, suffocating silence. Lydia clenched her fists while Caleb stared ahead, jawline tense.

A storm approached.