Peter's gaze remained fixed on the message glowing across his phone screen. The corridor suddenly felt colder despite the warmth of the building. Beside him, Caro noticed the subtle tightening of his jaw, the almost imperceptible shift in his posture. She had learned to read those signs over the past months. Something serious had happened.
"Is everything alright?" she asked carefully.
Peter did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked from the screen to Caro and then back again. The title of the attached audio file lingered in his mind.
CONFESSION. PLAY THIS BEFORE YOU TRUST HER.
He locked the phone without opening the file.
"It can wait."
Caro's expression remained calm, but her instincts screamed that it could not. Whoever had sent that message had chosen the exact moment Peter's defenses were lowered. That timing was too precise to be accidental.
"You don't look convinced," she said quietly.
"I'm not."
"Should we review it now?"
Peter shook his head.
