The keys clattered onto the mahogany desk, signaling the end of another victorious battle in the courtroom. Cathleen's heels clicked a definitive rhythm as she strode out of the law firm, her shoulders squared against the weight of her reputation—undefeated, unyielding. The evening sky was a canvas of dusky blues and purples, with shadows playing across the parking lot where Xavier's sleek car sat unattended. It felt like an act of defiance just to slide into the driver's seat and claim something of his or hers, even temporarily.
She maneuvered through the city streets with precision, her lips set in a thin line. Each stoplight was a momentary pause in her tightly wound existence, each green light, a silent permission to continue on this path she had been shackled to. The vehicle hummed t
