Chapter 7: The First Lie
"He called me."
Adrian looked up from his desk, his expression shifting instantly from surprise to focus. I crossed the study and set the phone down in front of him before I could talk myself out of it.
Victor reached for it immediately. "I'll have this examined within the hour."
"Wait." Adrian's voice stopped him before his fingers closed around it. He looked at me instead, his gaze steady. "You could have hidden this from me. Why didn't you?"
"Because if we're partners," I said, "secrets defeat the purpose."
Something shifted in his expression, quiet and unreadable, though I recognized it now as the look he wore whenever someone surprised him. He nodded once and handed the phone to Victor without another word.
Victor returned less than an hour later, setti
