The Missing Link

005. A Minute and a Half

As the window rolled down, revealing the driver's face, Raine exchanged a few hushed words with the person inside. Her confident demeanour was unmistakable, but something about the situation made Zane's stomach churn. He kept his distance, hands tucked in his pockets, silently scanning the area. The street lights flickered faintly, casting long shadows over the quiet street.

The driver nodded, gesturing for Raine to enter the car. She glanced back at him, her expression unreadable. "You coming?" she asked casually.

The man behind the wheel was rugged, with deep-set eyes that held an air of authority. His ashy chocolate brown hair, neatly combed, added to his stern look. He gave a quick nod to Raine before glancing at him, sizing him up with a brief but intense look.

Raine paused, her hand resting on the open car door as the woman's voice floated from inside, dripping with subtle disdain. Her eyes flickered toward the backseat where a woman sat, her sharp features half-hidden in the shadows.

Ignoring the remark, Raine climbed into the passenger seat. "Noli Street, right?" she asked, her tone cool and composed, as if the exchange moments earlier hadn't phased her.

Zane watched silently. He could feel the weight of whatever situation he had just stepped into, uncertain but committed to seeing it through.

"Who's this?" the man asked, his gaze sharpening as Zane eased himself into the back seat.

"He's with me," Raine answered coolly, clicking her seatbelt into place without looking back.

Zane could feel the tension crackling between them, but he remained quiet, settling into the seat as the door thudded shut behind him.

From the front passenger seat, the girl leaned forward slightly, her red lips curling into a smirk. "Oh, so you brought someone along to stir things up?" she asked sarcastically. Her gaze barely flickered toward Zane, focusing instead on Raine with a look that hovered with annoyance.

"I'm just here to keep an eye on this woman," Zane replied evenly.

In the rearview mirror, his eyes locked momentarily with the girl up front, her flowing, slightly curled hair framing a face with striking crimson lips. Despite her poised appearance, a flicker of irritation danced in her gaze. Without a word, she rolled her eyes and slid her earphones on, shutting them out as if their presence was a mere inconvenience.

The car's engine hummed to life, its steady rhythm failing to ease the tension inside.

"Raine, I'm serious. Who's he?" the man asked again, his tone sharper this time, his eyes flicking toward Zane in the rearview mirror with a serious, probing stare.

"He's with me," Raine repeated.

"You know I can't just bring anyone along, right?" he pressed, his patience clearly wearing thin.

"Where are we headed, though?" he asked, a shiver creeping down his spine as the unknown loomed ahead.

Raine's eyes shifted towards Zane. "What do you think?" she asked. "I sense you have a hunch."

Zane hesitated, his thoughts spinning through the possibilities. A party? A secret gathering? He couldn't quite pin it down, but the air felt too charged for something so simple.

"I'm guessing somewhere mysterious," he replied, attempting a wry smile.

Raine's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "You might just be onto something," she said, her tone cryptic.

"About earlier, how did you know Auntie knew me?" Zane asked cautiously, trying to gauge her reaction. "Were you aware she's merely my maternal uncle's wife?"