CHAPTER 112

The room was suffocatingly silent after the man’s ominous words. Jessica could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she exchanged a glance with Phillip. His expression remained stoic, but she could see the tension in his clenched jaw, the way his fingers lightly tapped against the arm of the chair. They were in too deep to back out now, and they both knew it.

The man leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked them over. His eyes were sharp, calculating, as if weighing whether they were worth the risk of sharing what he knew. Jessica tried to read him, but his face was an unreadable mask, betraying nothing of his thoughts.

Phillip broke the silence first. "We’re prepared to pay," he said, his voice steady. "But we need solid information, not rumors or guesses. What do you know about Lane’s meeting?"

The man didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with a practiced flick of his wrist. He took a