Chapter 9

My hand froze mid-motion as I rubbed my eyes. Dread hit me like a bucket of ice-cold water.

The voice recorder was in my bag. I had risked everything to get that piece of evidence—it nearly cost me my life to obtain it.

My mom started listing places my dad often visited, but I couldn't focus on a single word she said.

I immediately dialed my dad's number. As soon as the call connected, I demanded, "I'll give you 500 thousand dollars if you return my bag."

My dad's voice came through the phone, sly and calculating. "If it's worth that much, maybe I should just sell it to Xavier."

I suddenly exhaled in relief, laughing as I said, "That's exactly who it's meant for. You can be the free delivery service."

There was silence on the other end for what felt like an eternity. I could almost hear the rusty gears turning in his mind over the phone.

Then, he changed his tune and said, "If it's for Xavier, then you must have intended to use it against Elsa, right? Maybe I should sell it to h