noticed.
“What?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“There was a second request.”
Adrian’s expression tightened.
“When?”
“Four months ago.”
“Why wasn’t I told?”
“It was routed through legal.”
“From who?”
Daniel looked at me.
Then back at Adrian.
“Ethan Walker.”
I gripped the back of a chair.
Adrian went silent.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then my phone buzzed.
A text.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
But something made me open it.
There was no message.
Only a photograph.
Taken inside an airplane cabin.
My airplane cabin.
I recognized my sweater.
Lily asleep in my arms.
The picture had been taken before Adrian sat down.
Before boarding finished.
Before I knew his name.
In the empty seat beside me was a black leather folder.
On top of it lay a white envelope.
My name was written across the front.
ELENA WALKER
My heart began to pound.
A second message arrived.
