ETHAN'S POV
I had learned to read silence. Not the kind that was peaceful or shared between two people in comfort, but the kind that followed a lie.
It always felt thick. Too careful. Too measured. That was the type of silence I was stepping into now.
My source had come through with something that shifted everything.
Carl's supposed leak wasn't a random act of revenge, it was coordinated. Strategic. Funded. And the name buried deep in the file the contact gave me? Lawrence Kingsley.
I stared at it on the tablet as I sat in my office, the early morning light filtering through the window. I hadn't told Ava yet. Not because I didn't trust her, but because I needed to make sure this wasn't another distraction designed to derail us.
I forwarded the files to a secure drive and made a call.
"Get my car ready. We're making a visit."
