On the way from the morgue, the low hum of the engine fills the car as Ace grips the steering wheel, his mind racing through everything that has unfolded.
The city outside is alive with movement, but inside the car, tension thickens the air like a storm waiting to break.
Rica and Max sit in the back, their expressions unreadable, both lost in their own thoughts.
Ace exhales sharply before grabbing his phone and dialing Kieran's number. The moment the call connects, he speaks first.
"Hey, sorry I couldn't pick up your calls earlier." His voice is steady, but there's an edge of exhaustion beneath it.
The response is instant, Kieran's frustration bleeding through the speaker.
"Not even a message? Do you know how worried I was? I was actually leaving right now, going home to see what was happening!"
Ace's grip on the steering wheel tightens. He understands Kieran's frustration, he really does, but the sharpness in his tone, the way his voice raises, grates on Ace's nerves.
