Damien's eyes flicked toward her, just briefly, but the weight of the glance landed like a quiet nudge. "What are you thinking about?"
Isabelle blinked, then turned to look out the window. "Nothing."
"Really?" he said, drawing out the word, brow rising in mock skepticism. "That's not the Rep I know."
She didn't answer.
But his smirk deepened.
And Isabelle, watching him from the corner of her eye, felt a twitch of irritation—not quite annoyance, not quite amusement. That smile of his… she didn't know if she liked it. It was too relaxed. Too confident. Like he knew things she hadn't told him yet.
Still, he let it slide.
"Since Rep seems a little tired," he said, voice dipping just enough to sound almost teasing, "I'll go easy on you today."
He adjusted his grip on the wheel, leaned back slightly, and for once, didn't accelerate like a daredevil testing fate.
The vehicle eased forward, smooth and steady.
