Chapter 29:THE MYSTERY CALLER

The silence that followed the call was deafening. I stood there, my phone still pressed to my ear, as if the man on the other end might suddenly speak again, offering more cryptic clues about my fate. But the line was dead, leaving nothing but questions in its wake.

Oliver’s hand touched my shoulder, pulling me out of the haze. "Emily, who was that?" His voice was calm, but I could hear the concern laced beneath it. He’d just witnessed a conversation that could shift the entire direction of the mess we were in, and yet I had no answers. Only more uncertainty.

I lowered my phone slowly, my hands trembling. "I don’t know exactly. He said he could help me, but… he didn’t give a name."

Oliver’s expression tightened. "What did he want?"

I shook my head, walking to the window as if the answer would appear in the city skyline. "He offered help—said he had information that could clear my name. But, there’s a price."

"A price?" Oliver’s tone sharpened. "What kind of price?"

"I don’t know, he d