I turned my head toward the large glass facade of the lobby that looked out onto the street.

Outside, the rain was coming down in sheets, blurring the yellow streetlights.

A black sedan was parked idling by the curb, its hazard lights blinking through the dark.

Through the wet glass, I could see the silhouette of a figure sitting in the back seat.

“I have something that Jared took from you,” the woman said.

“And it isn’t something your lawyers can get back in a courtroom.”

The line went dead with a soft click.

I lowered the phone, my heart beating hard against my ribs.

Marcus noticed my expression and stepped closer.

“Shelby?” he asked. “Is everything alright?”

“I need to go outside for a moment,” I said.

I walked past the remaining reporters, ignoring their shouted questions.

I pushed through the heavy glass doors of the lobby.

The cold, damp air hit my face, a sharp contrast to the stuffy warmth of the auditorium.

The black sedan’s brake lights flared red on the wet pavement.

I walked down the concrete steps, my heels clicking in the shallow puddles.