Bryce waited for nearly thirty minutes before Dave finally arrived.
A cab pulled up to the curb, and Dave climbed out wearing one of Bryce’s hoodies as though nothing had changed. The moment he spotted Bryce, he hurried over and pulled him into a tight embrace.
Bryce remained still.
His arms didn’t lift.
He couldn’t understand why Dave had come all the way to pick him up with a cab when he could have simply sent the address.
Bryce would have found his way there. Instead, he had been left standing outside for half an hour for no reason, as though someone had been on their way to collect him in a private car rather than an ordinary cab.
"I’m sorry," Dave murmured, refusing to let go.
Bryce finally pulled back, his expression unreadable.
"Sorry for what?" he asked. "For selling the apartment we both paid for without saying a word to me? For moving all my belongings without even asking? Or for..."
"For everything."
Dave’s voice was barely above a whisper.
"I promise... from this moment on, I’ll never do anything that hurts you again. I’ll never disappoint you."
Bryce stared at him for a long moment before looking away.
"Just take me to whatever house you bought," he said flatly. "I’m exhausted. I just want to lie down."
Without waiting for a response, he walked past Dave and climbed into the cab.
Dave followed after him.
"I’d planned something for tonight," he began cautiously. "A nice date... I wanted to make up for everything. Can we go there first before heading home?"
Bryce slowly turned to look at him.
Disbelief settled across his face.
A date?
That was how Dave intended to make up for cheating on him?
For lying to him?
For treating his life as though Bryce had no right to decide anything for himself? For making decisions behind his back until he had nowhere left to go except back to the very man who had betrayed him?
The suggestion was so absurd Bryce couldn’t even bring himself to argue.
Without a word, he settled deeper into his seat.
"It’s..."
"I already told you." Bryce’s weary voice cut through the cab before Dave could finish. "I just want to sleep. I’m not feeling well."
Dave’s lips parted, then closed again.
This time, he said nothing.
He simply gave the driver a quiet instruction, and the cab pulled away.
Silence settled between them as the city gradually disappeared behind them.
Towering buildings gave way to quieter roads, which eventually opened onto the broad, immaculate avenues leading toward the country’s most prestigious private estate, a place reserved for families whose wealth had long surpassed imagination.
Bryce’s brows drew together.
This wasn’t where he had expected to end up.
If anyone had asked him who lived here, Vincent and Leah would have been his first answer.
Instead...
Dave had brought him here.
His gaze shifted from the passing gates back to Dave.
What were they doing here?
Although the estate was home to countless wealthy families, only one surname truly reigned above them all.
The Sinclairs.
Across the country, many people carried that surname, yet the moment it was spoken, every mind turned to the same family without exception.
Nobody seemed to know exactly how that family had built its empire, yet their influence rivaled even that of the Walkers, making them one of the most powerful names in the country.
Bryce tore his eyes away from the window.
"Does he know where he’s supposed to be taking us?" he asked, glancing from Dave to the driver.
"Yes."
Dave answered quietly.
As he turned to face Bryce, the corners of his lips lifted into a faint, unreadable smile.
Without warning, Bryce’s heartbeat lurched.
A strange uneasiness washed over him, sending his pulse racing for reasons he couldn’t begin to understand.
"And where is that?" He asked, his voice tightening until the words almost caught in his throat.
Dave glanced at him before looking ahead again.
"We’re almost there," he replied calmly. "You’ll see when we arrive."
"Stop the car."
The words came out instantly, Bryce’s own voice startled him.
He didn’t even know why he had said them. He couldn’t explain the panic rising inside him, only that every passing second made it worse.
Dave turned to face him.
"What?"
"I feel like..." Bryce struggled to steady his breathing. "No. I know something is going on." His eyes remained fixed on Dave. "You’re hiding something from me, and I’m not letting you take me anywhere until I know what it is."
Dave remained silent for a moment before answering in a voice that was almost gentle.
"We’ll talk when we get home."
"I said I’m not going anywhere. Not until you tell me what’s going on. Not until you tell me what you’re hiding from me."
Dave didn’t answer Bryce. The cab fell silent. For a brief moment, Bryce almost believed they would stop.
Instead...
"Drive faster."
Without taking his eyes off Bryce, Dave ordered the driver.
The driver obeyed without hesitation.
The cab surged forward, its tires gliding over the flawlessly paved road. The city had long disappeared behind them, replaced by broad, immaculate streets lined with towering walls, ornate gates, and sprawling estates that grew more extravagant the farther they drove.
Bryce barely noticed any of it.
His heartbeat had become deafening.
Every instinct screamed that something was terribly wrong.
He wanted to demand answers again, but the words refused to leave his mouth. He wanted to fight, to force the driver to stop, to throw the door open and get out.
His body wouldn’t cooperate.
The weakness that had settled over him earlier clung stubbornly to every limb, draining what little strength remained.
For one reckless moment, he considered opening the door anyway.
Even if he fell onto the road.
Even if it killed him.
Anything felt better than blindly following Dave into whatever awaited him.
As though sensing exactly what he was thinking, Dave suddenly reached for him and pulled him into his arms.
Bryce stiffened.
Every part of him recoiled from the embrace.
His body wanted away from it.
Yet the strength to push Dave back simply wasn’t there.
He remained trapped against him, breathing unevenly as the cab continued deeper into the estate.
Several moments later, the vehicle slowed before finally rolling to a stop in front of an enormous wrought iron gate, its intricate design gleaming beneath the warm glow of the evening lights.