William adjusted the cuffs of his tailored coat as he approached the sleek black car waiting at the edge of the driveway. The engine was humming softly, the driver already in position. The air was unusually still—too still.
Just as William reached for the handle, John’s voice cut through the silence.
“Sir! You forgot your file.”
William paused, his brow furrowing. “File?” he echoed. “I don’t need—”
But then he looked at John’s face. Calm, too calm. His eyes said more than his lips ever could. Years of trust had taught William to recognize when John was sounding an alarm without saying it outright.
“Right,” William said with a forced nod, catching on. “Of course, the file.”
He stepped back casually, turning to walk toward John.
And in the next breath, a bang repelled through the esta
