"I'm sorry, Ross. I didn't think it would turn out this way," Nicole said softly, her voice laced with disappointment as they drove back to the hotel.
The city lights blurred past the car window, but her thoughts were elsewhere. This wasn't Parkland City anymore—it was her hometown, a place that should have felt welcoming but now felt suffocating.
Ross glanced at her and gave a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, love. It's not your fault." His tone was gentle, but beneath the surface, his mind was already working, calculating.
He had been insulted, dismissed as if he were nothing, and that was something he would not let slide.
He was already planning how to turn the tables, how to make that so-called perfect couple's life take an unexpected and cruel twist. The thought sent a thrill through him, his excitement barely contained.
Nicole exhaled, staring at her hands in her lap.
