The blizzard was relentless, and the wipers thrashed frantically across the windshield as Ste crawled along the empty road.


    Inside the car, the heater was on full st, and gentle music drifted through the warm air.


    Briony leaned back, eyes closed, her whole body as still as Milo beside her.


    Ste kept sneaking nces her way.


    She didn''t know exactly what had happened back at Southcreek Manor, but she could sense Briony had been hurt badly this time.


    Honk! Honk!


    Suddenly, a car horn red from behind.


    Ste nced in the rearview mirror.


    A sleek ck Maybach was barreling up behind them, closing in fast.


    "Is that Stewart''s car behind us?" she asked, tension creeping into her voice.


    Briony slowly opened her eyes, looked into the mirror, and frowned slightly. "It''s him."


    “He''s shing his lights at us!" Ste pressed harder on the gas. "Seriously, what does he want now?!"


    "Just ignore him," Briony replied quietly.


    "As if I''d do anything else," Ste muttered.


    She gripped the wheel tighter, her nerves firing as she sped up. “Buckle up, Bryn! I''m about to floor it!"


    But the weather was too fierce-sixty miles an hour was already pushing the limits of Ste''s skills in this storm.


    It wasn''t long before the Maybach overtook them.


    Ste was still cursing under her breath when the Maybach suddenly swerved, fishtailing right in front of them.


    Ste''s eyes went wide as she mmed on the brakes-


    Briony lurched forward from the momentum, but her seatbelt kept her safe.


    Trying to steady her breathing, Ste turned to Briony. "Bryn, are you okay? Did you get hurt?"


    "I''m fine," Briony said, shaking her head. "Are you?"


    "Me? Right now I want to give Stewart a piece of my mind! I swear, if I get out of this car I''ll- I''ll punch a hole in his "


    She never finished her sentence.


    Because as she turned, she saw Stewart himself standing right in front of their


    car.


    The wipers whipped back and forth, but nothing could obscure the force of his presence.


    He was dressed all in ck, the hem of his long coat snapping in the wind and snow. Nearly six foot three, he stood like a sentinel, unyielding against the storm.


    Even the swirling snow couldn''t diminish the intensity that radiated from him. His handsome face was unreadable, his dark eyes fixed deeply, unblinkingly, on Briony inside the car.


    Ste swallowed hard and looked at Briony.


    "Bryn, I''ve never backed down from a fight, but if he''s our opponent, I think our only shot is hitting the gas and running him down while we have the chance!"


    Briony just gave her a look, tightening the nket around her shoulders. "He''s here for me. Stay in the car."


    "What if he tries to drag you off?" Ste protested, eyes wide with worry.


    Briony paused, ncing back at Ste''s anxious face.


    They locked eyes for a few seconds before Briony let out a small, exasperatedugh. "Star, maybey off the romance novels for a bit."


    Ste pouted. "...Fine."


    Briony pushed open the door and was immediately hit by a st of icy wind.


    She stepped out, closed the door behind her, and brushed a few loose strands of hair from her cheek.


    Stewart''s gaze never wavered.


    Briony stood by the car, keeping a few yards between them.


    The sky had grown even darker, and the storm was only getting worse.


    This wasn''t the kind of weather for a roadside conversation, but Briony knew Stewart-if he''d chased her down, he wasn''t leaving without a fight.


    "Stewart, if you came here to convince me to go back and look after Irwin, let me make this clear-I won''t."


    Stewart''s jaw tightened. His voice was quiet, but deep. "Irwin''s just a kid. He didn''t mean what he said."


    "Those weren''t empty words, Stewart. He was telling the truth-just repeating what you told him: I''m not his mother."


    Stewart stiffened.


    Briony met his gaze, her voice steady, nearly carried away by the wind. "I''m not as important to Irwin as you think. He''s just gotten used to relying on me these past five years. If I leave, of course he''ll have a hard time at first. But he''ll move on. He''ll be fine."


    Stewart pressed his lips into a thin line.


    The snow was falling harder now. There were only a few yards between them, but it suddenly felt like miles.


    "So you''re really set on cutting ties with Irwin?" he finally asked, his voice barely rising above the storm.