Kim rolled back into the company car park, her presence as striking as ever even in her off-duty look. She stepped out of her sleek bck SUV, a picture of effortless rebellion in her casual wear ensemble.

  Kim adjusted her sungsses as she strolled into the lobby, her id-back confidence turning heads. Ivy was waiting for her just inside, the picture of subdued elegance in her new dark academia-inspired travel look. A vintage, tailored trench coat in warm beige complemented her slender frame, cinched at the waist with a leather belt. Beneath it, she wore a moss-green wool sweater vest over a crisp white blouse, the colr peeking out delicately. Pleated trousers in a deep brown completed the outfit, paired with sturdy oxfords that made her petite stature feel grounded. Her freshly styled hair was pinned loosely at the nape of her neck, a few tendrils framing her soft brown heart-shapped face. She clutched a dark brown vintage suitcase in one hand and a matching leather travel bag in the other, while a loaned analog camera hung around her neck, the strap giving her the vibe of a schor stepping out of an old sepia-toned photograph.

  Kim let out a low whistle as she approached. “Wow. You look like you just stepped out of some literature professor’s daydream.”

  Ivy blushed, her fingers tightening around the handle of her suitcase. “Thanks. The stylist really outdid herself.”

  Kim grinned, pulling her phone out of her jacket pocket. “Hold that thought.” She snapped a quick candid of Ivy adjusting the strap of her camera, then checked the photo with a satisfied nod. “This one’s going to break the internet. Dark academia meets pastoral perfection. You’re a mood board.”

  Ivy ughed softly, shaking her head. “You’re incorrigible.”

  “That’s why you love me,” Kim quipped, winking as she opened the SUV’s trunk and loaded in Ivy’s bags. “Now, let’s hit the road before someone”—she didn’t need to say Harper’s name for Ivy to know—“catches on.”

  They climbed into the plush interior of Kim’s SUV, a sleek, well-equipped vehicle with leather seats and enough room to make the trip comfortable. Kim set the GPS for Brunswickville, the soft hum of the engine filling the space as she backed out of the lot.

  Just as the SUV pulled out, a bck coupe screeched into the parking lot in the opposite direction. Harper.