Chapter 17

The tension in the car was suffocating. Catherine was driving with Ezra sitting in the passenger seat. Raphael sat in the back and remained silent all the way. Ezra was about to say something when Catherine interrupted coldly, "I'll drop you off first." After Ezra got out, Catherine didn't start the car immediately. Sitting in the backseat, Raphael glanced at her but wasn't sure if he should say anything. He couldn't quite pinpoint when he had become so passive in front of Catherine. "How much did you drink?" she asked suddenly, her voice as cold as ever, catching him off guard through the rearview mirror. "I didn't drink at all. We just chatted a bit," Raphael responded, surprised by the question. Without a word, Catherine stepped out of the car. She then opened the door to the passenger seat and said, "You drive." "Oh, sure." Raphael complied, getting into the driver's seat as Catherine slid into the back. The car moved steadily along the road. The silence was so thick that R