The Price of Loyalty and the Letter That Exposed a Family
I looked up at Gabriel, who was watching the traffic outside the window, his expression calm.
The air in the car suddenly felt very cold.
I looked down at the phone, my thumb hovering over the screen as the next photo began to download.
The progress bar crept slowly toward the right, and I held my breath.
The image resolved, showing a dated wire transfer receipt.
At the top of the receipt was a name I recognized, but it wasn’t Richard’s or Ethan’s.
The driver turned the car onto the expressway, the tires humming against the concrete.
I stared at the name on the screen, the world outside the window blurring into a streak of gray and glass.
The phone vibrated once more, the screen flashing with an incoming call from a number I had blocked months ago.
I hesitated, my finger trembling over the glass.
The screen kept flashing, lighting up the dark interior of the car.
“Claire?” Gabriel asked, turning to look at me. “Is everything alright?”
I did not answer.
I just watched the name on the screen blink in the quiet car.