After the man left, Ronin sat alone in the corner of the bustling cafe, poring over the contents of the folder. Frustrated by his lack of progress, he took out his phone and punched in a four-digit code, unlocking a hidden folder filled with photographs.
As he scrolled through the images, his attention was drawn to a particular photo. With a sense of trepidation, he tapped the screen and watched as the picture expanded to fill the entire display. It was a family portrait taken after their wedding reception, and Ronin could see the tension etched on everyone’s faces despite their forced smiles for the camera.
In particular, he noticed the three people in the photo who were not smiling: his brother Eric, himself, and Carmen. Ronin felt a pang of regret as he studied Carmen’s expression. Sh
