Maya's POV
The corporate sedan navigated the serpentine mountain roads of Oakwood Valley, every bend unveiling vistas that sent sharp pangs through my chest. The rolling vineyards bathed in golden afternoon light should have been stunning, but each familiar hillside only dragged up memories I'd spent months trying to bury.
Not long ago, I'd traveled this exact route in Sebastian's sleek Porsche, my nerves frayed for entirely different reasons. The ghost of his confident hands gripping the steering wheel, his chiseled jaw set in concentration as he drove, our easy banter mixed with those charged silences that made my pulse race... it all seemed like someone else's life now.
"This scenery is incredible," Bridget gushed from the backseat, her phone camera clicking incessantly. My assistant's enthusiasm for this business trip was bordering on unprofessional. "I can't believe I've never made it out to Oakwood before!"
