Daniel was ruthless, but Clara was patient.

My phone suddenly buzzed on the desk, the screen lighting up.

It wasn’t a call.

It was an encrypted message from an unknown number.

I reached out and picked up the device.

The message preview showed a single line of text.

“We need to speak without Daniel.”

I stared at the screen as another message appeared immediately after.

“He doesn’t know about the secondary accounts.”

I felt a cold chill run down my spine.

The phone vibrated again in my hand, the screen glowing bright in the dimming studio light.

The phone vibrated again, the wooden surface of the desk amplifying the buzz.

I swiped the screen to unlock it.

The encrypted app showed a third message.

“Call me through this link. Now.”

I stared at the glowing blue letters.

The rain tapped against the high glass window of my Wabash Avenue studio.

I smelled the sharp scent of turpentine and old pine floorboards.

My finger hovered over the screen.

I tapped the link.

The screen shifted, showing a connecting icon, and then the timer started counting up.