“I am not lying,” I said, speaking loud enough for the phone to pick up my voice.

Ethan did not tell me to be quiet.

He just kept his eyes on me.

“She has a copy of the original report, Daniel,” Ethan said.

“The one Vance’s brother-in-law helped hide.”

Another long silence stretched over the line.

The only sound in the study was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner.

It felt like a countdown.

“Where is she?” Daniel asked, his voice suddenly stripped of its frantic energy.

“She is right here,” Ethan said.

“Keep her there,” Daniel said.

“I am coming over.”

“We need to handle this before it gets out.”

“Do not let her leave the house, Ethan.”

The call ended with a sharp click.

Ethan slowly lowered his hand.

He set the phone back on the leather desk pad.

The screen went dark.

He looked at me, his chest rising and falling.

“Why didn’t you go to the newspapers?” he asked.

“I tried,” I said. “No one would take the story without the original physical file.”