Once they left the mountain, the scenery shifted quickly, the quiet isolation of the estate giving way to the distant pulse of the city.
The drive took close to an hour, though it hardly felt slow. In fact, it was faster than it should have been. The road they used wasn't one the public even knew existed; it was a private route carved through the mountain and connected seamlessly to the main roads leading into the city.
It didn't appear on any map, digital or otherwise, ensuring that no outsider could trace their way back to the estate. Only when they merged into the downtown traffic did the pace finally begin to slow.
By the time they reached the city center, the towering structure of the most exclusive shopping mall came into view, its glass façade reflecting the late afternoon light.
Somewhere along the drive, Ashley had learned something that quietly redefined everything she thought she understood.
