Chapter 31

Rafael sat in an office; the only silence in the room was tangible as he stared into the screen in front of him. By his side stood Gabriel, his arms folded across his chest, his face unreadable. The audio that had just played in his ears replayed itself in Rafael's head: Ryan and Ethan's secretary Claire discussing their plan for hacking and how they could frame Ethan should things go awry.

This isn't what I expected," Rafael cut through the heavy silence.

Gabriel nodded, eyes fixed into the screen. "Definitely not, it just made things a bit more complicated. If that recording is indeed genuine, it lets Ethan clear his name-at least to an extent. Still, something doesn't quite feel right here.

Rafael leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "I know; it's almost too neat, too convenient. They were so quick to pin the blame on Ethan, and now suddenly this evidence cleared him? My mind tells me there's more to this, that something's not quite right in what's being said.

Meanwhile,