Ethan returned from the shower, fully dressed in a fresh, casual outfit. His gaze immediately fell on the old cell phone lying on the kitchen counter. He walked over, picked it up, and his hand trembled slightly. He didn't want to admit it, but he had been deliberately stalling—taking too long in the shower, obsessing over the contracts and the junk—because he was genuinely afraid of what he might find.
He finally powered the phone on. Jason, having finished cleaning the table, approached cautiously. "Did you find anything, Boss?"
"Not yet," Ethan replied, his eyes focused on the screen.
"How did you know the PIN?" Jason asked, curious.
"He used that PIN for everything," Ethan said simply, a hint of old affection in his voice. "It was his favorite PIN." He kept the actual code a secret, a small piece of his father's life he didn't want to share.
