Chapter 196 Facing Them

• Dolton POV
• The car moves steadily along the road, but the atmosphere inside is thick with tension, and no one speaks. The only sound is the faint hum of the engine, as the weight of everything presses down on all of us.
• I glance at Celine, as she sits beside me, her posture is stiff, her hands resting on her thighs. She hasn’t spoken much since we left the elder gardens, but I know her well enough to see that her mind is racing. Sebastian sits next to her, his eyes are sharp as he watches her, as if waiting for something to go wrong. Jonathan is on my other side, leaning forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees, his fingers tapping a slow, restless rhythm against his leg.