[WARNING! Unedited! Don't Buy!]
[IRAYA]
Iraya watched the final smoke wisp from the airport's departure board as the VIP van carried her toward the city's familiar skyline. The drive was silent, a tight cocoon where the aftershocks of shock and betrayal slammed against her calm resolve.
Lyander rode beside her, finally breaking the thick silence. "You must be pissed," he admitted. "You have every right to be."
Iraya's fingers tightened on her bag's handle. "This is not how I planned any of this."
He nodded, gaze forward. "Yeah. But, well... I was tired of letting you handle everything alone. Even when you said you didn't want me here."
She looked out the window at the city stretching beneath them: ivy-clad facades, bustling vendors, palm trees swaying. She wanted to be numb—but her heart was pounding.
