Chapter 169 Deep Cut

• As Ethan left the station, his posture remained sharp, controlled, even as the chaos of flashing cameras and shouting reporters descended like a storm. The press had already swarmed the premises, but Carter, backed by a squad of security, moved swiftly to carve out a protective path. They formed a human barrier, guiding Ethan through the frenzy to his waiting car. He slid inside, calmly buckling his seatbelt, and pulled out his phone—the one he had handed to Detective Chen earlier had been a decoy, a secured device meant to protect what was left of the blackboard.
• He stared at the screen, fingers hovering. His eyes found that video again, the one Eliot had sent him. He’d played it more times than he cared to admit. Still, his thumb tapped the play button as if pulled by a force beyond him.
• The video started, its familiar dim light flickering to life. Eliot sat hunched in the shadows, his face barely illuminated by the soft glow of a single lamp. His eyes, bloodshot and glassy, glistened with unshed tears. He looked exhausted, like the weight of his words had already taken their toll. He inhaled deeply, struggling to steady his trembling hands before speaking.