Chapter Fifteen

The sleek sports car carved through the labyrinth of the city’s nocturnal landscape like a metallic beast on the hunt, the engine growling in tune with Olivia's raw nerves. She sat coiled in the passenger seat, a compact bundle of anxiety and anticipation, hyper-aware of Azazel's smoldering gaze piercing her side. She didn’t dare return his look, fearing that if their eyes met, she'd betray the wild cacophony of emotions thundering within her. Instead, her gaze roamed beyond the car’s tinted windows, trying to anchor herself in the blur of passing cityscape. She tried to slow the sprinting beat of her heart, a futile attempt at bringing tranquility to her tempestuous mind.

Minutes that felt like agonizing eternities rolled past until the car, obedient to Azazel's will, rolled to a leisurely stop. The facade of an incredibly grand, luminous mall loomed before them, a beacon of opulence amidst the city's nocturnal gloom.

Bewilderment clouded Olivia's hazel eyes as she took in the unexpe