CHAPTER 243: EMBERS ON THE HIGHWAY

The low, throaty rumble of the hypercar’s engine was the only sound accompanying the two figures nestled within the sleek Osborn-made machine as it sliced through the highway like a shadow on a mission.

Outside, the vibrant city lights of Neo-Luminara blurred into glowing streaks, but inside the cabin, an atmosphere of warmth and golden hues enveloped them, almost tender.

The moonlight spilled it’s silvery glow on the highway,the evening was really peaceful and quiet.

Billy kept one hand firmly on the wheel, his sunglasses tucked away in the console, revealing cool, clear eyes that flicked between the road and Kaia.

She gazed out at the passing scenery, her chin resting on her hand, lips curved in a small yet enigmatic smile as the wind playfully tousled her hair.

Behind them sat neatly stacked shopping bags from brands that only a select few could afford, names that practically screamed status.

They had just left the plaza behind, shaking off the heavy tension from an unexpected encounter with Sophia and her new companion.

But despite that brief cloud of awkwardness hanging over them, Kaia’s presence beside him made everything feel... oddly sweet.

"You really threw me off back there," Billy said with a soft chuckle, breaking their comfortable silence.

Kaia turned her head slightly, one eyebrow arching playfully. "Threw you off? What did I do?"

Billy laughed lightly and shot her a quick look. "Oh please! Don’t play innocent now. That whole ’babe, who’s this?’ act?"

Kaia grinned but felt heat rise to her cheeks as she turned away again to hide behind her hair. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Oh come on." Billy leaned back in his seat with an exaggerated sigh. "You nearly gave me a heart attack pretending to be my girlfriend so smoothly! I swear I thought I was in some movie scene."

Kaia burst into laughter, genuine and musical but tinged with flustered excitement. "Well, I had to do something! You looked like you were about to pass out from all that awkwardness."

"I did not," Billy protested.

"You did!"

"I didn’t!"

"You did," she insisted again, turning fully toward him now; her teasing smile was gentle yet persistent.

Billy sighed in mock defeat. "Fine! Maybe I was just a little... off balance."

Kaia leaned forward eagerly, elbows resting on her knees and hands clasped under her chin as she regarded him curiously. "You want to talk about it?"

He hesitated for a moment; the car hummed beneath them while streetlights cast long golden beams across their dashboard.

Finally exhaling slowly, he said, "I just didn’t expect to see her again, not so soon or with someone else, and certainly not when I’m finally starting to feel like myself again."

Kaia nodded knowingly. "It’s strange how life tosses people back into your path just when you’re beginning to heal."

"Exactly," he replied.

She smiled softly, a playful glint in her eyes. "Well, lucky for you, you’ve got an amazing fake girlfriend who can handle these dramatic run-ins like a seasoned actress!"

Billy chuckled, genuine laughter bubbling up. "I should give you an award! Best Performance in a Real-Life Face Slap."

Kaia clutched her imaginary pearls and gasped dramatically. "Oh, thank you! I’d like to thank the Academy... and Sophia’s nerve for crashing our little moment."

Their laughter echoed through the car, filling the space with warmth.

But soon enough, silence returned, though this time it was comfortable and familiar.

Billy glanced at her again, his expression turning serious. "Hey... I meant what I said back there."

Kaia turned to him curiously. "Which part?"

"The part about you being there for me when everything fell apart. You stuck around when you didn’t have to."

A soft smile spread across her face. "I didn’t see a failure; I saw someone who just needed time to remember who he was."

Billy fell quiet, absorbing her words.

"I never properly thanked you," he admitted. "For what you said that night outside YoruMart when I was a mess."

"You were always a bit of a mess," Kaia teased lightly.

He laughed again, nodding in agreement. "Okay, true, but you didn’t treat me like one. You helped me realize I was still human... still worth something."

Kaia’s eyes softened with understanding.

"You were always worth something, Billy," she replied gently. "You just forgot it for a while."

He looked at her before returning his gaze to the road ahead. "So... what now?"

She shrugged playfully and said, "I don’t know; you tell me."

A moment passed before Kaia tilted her head slightly with mischief dancing in her eyes. "You know, this would be the perfect time for a dramatic confession."

Billy raised an eyebrow with amusement. "Oh really?"

"Absolutely! You just rescued me from a bus stop in a luxury hypercar, took me on an impromptu shopping spree, faced off against your ex-girlfriend and now we’re on this moonlit drive? If this were a drama series, I’d say you’re dangerously close to falling in love with me!"

Billy smirked playfully but then added seriously, "What makes you think I’m not already halfway there?"

"Huh!" Kaia blinked in surprise as she looked at him.

His tone had been teasing, yet his eyes? Completely sincere.

Caught off guard by his unexpected honesty, her lips parted slightly as warmth flooded her cheeks and crept toward her ears.

She glanced out the window again to regain composure but couldn’t shake off the fluttering feeling inside.

"Kaia?" Billy asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Don’t," she replied, a shy smile dancing on her lips. "Just let me enjoy this moment."

Billy respected her wish, nodding as he turned his attention back to the road ahead.

The car glided smoothly through the night, headlights slicing through the darkness like beams of hope.

For once, neither of them felt the urge to rush towards their destination; instead, they relished the serenity of the journey itself.

It was a rare pause in their busy lives, a chance to simply be together without distractions.

----------

The highway unfurled endlessly before them, silver lines shimmering like a mirage beneath the sun-drenched sky.

The Osborn-made hypercar glided through the landscape with an effortless grace, devouring miles as if it were merely a whisper of rebellion against the mundane.

Inside, however, silence had settled, not the awkward kind that makes you fidget in your seat, but rather the soft hush that follows shared laughter, where both hearts in the car are pondering unspoken thoughts.

Billy had one hand on the wheel and the other resting casually against the open window.

A warm breeze tousled his dark hair as he stole a glance at Kaia beside him. She was curled up cross-legged in her leather seat, twirling a silk bag handle between her fingers.

Their banter had filled every moment since leaving YoruMart, the memories of Billy’s scrawny past self and Kaia’s playful jabs still lingered in the air. But now... there was only the wind.

Billy glanced over again; sunlight caught in Kaia’s eyes, revealing flecks of gold that sparkled like hidden treasures but she wasn’t smiling anymore.

"I shouldn’t have said that," Billy muttered to himself as he rubbed his nose nervously and then peered at Kaia from the corner of his eye.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he broke through their comfortable silence. "I’m moving," he stated simply.

Kaia blinked, turning her head toward him in confusion. "Huh?"

"I’m moving," he repeated softly this time. "Leaving Aurelia."

Kaia straightened slightly; her silk bag slipped unnoticed from her lap to the floor. "Wait... what do you mean?"

Billy’s voice remained calm yet firm, a tone suggesting he had already come to terms with his decision and was merely sharing its weight now. "Arthur has decided it’s time; the whole Osborn family is relocating to Varenya."

The name struck her like a sudden gust of wind.

"Varenya?" she echoed incredulously.

Billy nodded once.

She hesitated before speaking; her lips parted then closed again as uncertainty flickered across her face.

Finally finding words that felt foreign on her tongue, she asked, "You’re... telling me this because...?"

Billy tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

Kaia’s voice dropped to almost a whisper, barely audible above the hum of tires on asphalt: "I mean... I’m not that important, Billy. You didn’t need to..."

"Kaia."

His voice sliced through her uncertainty like a gentle knock on a locked door.

She met his gaze,intense and unwavering and felt something shift within her.

"I want you to come with me," he said firmly.

Kaia blinked, her eyes widening in disbelief as the words hung in the air like a surreal dream. "You... what?" she whispered, struggling to grasp the reality of the moment.

Billy remained steadfast, his gaze unwavering. "I want you to come with me. To Varenya. To live with me and my family."

She turned fully toward him, one leg folding beneath her on the seat as confusion washed over her. "Billy, what... what are you even saying? You want me to...? Why?!"

He chuckled softly, not mockingly, but with a hint of quiet pain that tugged at her heartstrings. "You already know why," he replied, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "I can’t leave you here while I go without you."

Kaia opened her mouth to speak, but no words emerged.

Billy continued, his voice steady yet filled with emotion. "There’s nothing left for people like you in Aurelia, just nine-to-fives and debts that suffocate your dreams. That’s what I saw when I was out there."

His tone softened further, almost confessional now. "Varenya... it’s not perfect, but it’s alive and growing from the ground up. I want you there, not out of pity, Kaia but because I believe in you."

Silence enveloped them inside the car except for the steady roar of the engine,a heavy silence that felt anything but uncomfortable.

"You helped me see what I was blind to," Billy said earnestly. "You pulled me out of that pit I had dug for myself and reminded me that being part of a family isn’t about chains; it’s about support."

Kaia tightened her grip on her bag as uncertainty flickered across her face.

"I’m not asking you to give up your life," he added gently. "I’m asking you to build a new one, in a place where your potential won’t go unnoticed."

Her voice was barely above a whisper: "You really want me to come?"

Billy turned toward her this time, stripping away any teasing or smirks, just a boy who had been broken yet healed because someone had held his hand when he needed it most.

"Yes," he affirmed sincerely. "I do."

Kaia glanced out the window again; everything was changing, the cityscape transformed into something unfamiliar and new.

"Wait..." she said slowly, realization dawning on her face.

Billy smirked playfully at her reaction.

"You... You’re not taking me home, are you?"

"Nope!" he replied cheerfully.

"Then... where the hell are we going?" Her pulse quickened with anticipation.

Billy shrugged nonchalantly. "To see someone."

Kaia narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Billy..."

He laughed lightly, trying to ease her tension. "Relax! It’s someone nice!"

She let out an exasperated groan. "Don’t you dare say it’s..."

"It’s your Aunt Margaret who wants to see you," Billy replied with a mischievous grin.

Kaia’s eyes widened in disbelief, her tension palpable. "Are you serious?!"

Billy nodded innocently, his smile only growing wider. "Yup."

"BILLY!"