Chapter 62

"Wait, what do you mean we don't have to worry about Richards anymore?" I narrow my eyes at Ethan and cross my arms as I ask. I can't help it, but my voice sounds sharper than I meant to. I'm a little dubious about this nonchalant declaration in light of what we just learned.

Jack appears just as perplexed. "Yeah, Ethan. Richards was practically drooling over the prospect of pursuing us when I last checked. We just talked about getting rid of anything that could give him away during a raid, and now you're saying he's just...not a problem?"

With his palms facing us, Ethan raises his hands. "Slow down. Okay, so I didn't do anything very radical. I took care of it in a way that's perfectly safe."

Jack's brow furrows as he examines Ethan closely. "Here's where you'll need to define "safe." You're telling me you've somehow neutralized the one agent who's had a chokehold on our operations without stirring up suspicion? Ethan, whatever you did, this could have serious consequences for everyone in this room."

Ethan leans back against the desk's edge and lets out a sigh. "Jack, if you're worried about that, I didn't hurt him. You all know me better than that."

Jack's eyebrows go up. "Do we? Because right now, there's a lot of ambiguity in your answer. For all I know, you've made some arrangement with someone worse than Victor, or..."

Ethan waves his hand to interrupt him. "Trust me, this is better for everyone. Richards won't be bothering us, and we can breathe a bit."

Ben folds his arms and looks from Jack to me and then back to Ethan. "You're making a lot of promises without any real explanation here. What did you do if you didn't take any drastic action?"

Ethan pauses to think about what he just said. "I spoke privately with some influential individuals in Richards' department. I argued that his unrelenting hunt for Monroe Enterprises was a waste of money when he should have been focusing on more urgent issues."

As Jack observes Ethan, it is clear that he is skeptical. "And they just agreed? Just like that?"

"Let's say they understood what I was saying," A gleam in Ethan's eye suggests something more, but his response is fluid. He's being intentionally vague, and it's making all of us uncomfortable.

My patience is wearing thin. "This is serious, Ethan. It's a lot to ask considering the situation, and you're asking us to blindly believe you."

Ethan stares at me, and his face relaxes. "If I didn't think it would be best for you, Emily, I wouldn't tell you to trust me."

I let my arms fall to my sides and move in his direction, experiencing a mixture of annoyance and something more. "And I wouldn't be questioning you if I didn't care. But this constant game of secrets and half-truths is exhausting."

Ben sighs in frustration, obviously at a lost. "All right, let's suppose that you have taken care of Richards for the time being and moved on. What should we do after this? Are we still scrubbing files? removing evidence of anything that could implicate us?"

Ethan pauses, looking at Jack as though deciding how much more to divulge. "For the time being, proceed as scheduled, but take your time. Richards' attention will be elsewhere, but that doesn't mean we're entirely safe. The attention is no longer on us, but we must still be mindful of what we leave behind."

Jack looks at Ethan steadily as he leans forward. "So, just to clarify, if Richards comes sniffing around again-and he will-are we prepared for what he might find? Because from where I stand, we still have plenty to worry about."

Ethan starts to answer, but stops himself. His reluctance and the flickering in his expression make me wonder whether there's more to this than he's revealing.

Jack too becomes aware, and his voice becomes sterner. "Ethan, whatever you've done, you're playing with fire. And that fire can burn all of us."

Ben, who can read a room quickly, intervenes. "Jack's right. We need more than just your word on this. Everyone is taking a chance here, not just you."

Ethan puts a palm to his brow and sighs. "All right. Look, Richards is currently off our case. That's all you need to know."

There is tension in the ensuing silence. I keep a close eye on Ethan, looking for any indication that he's holding back or bluffing, but his face is inscrutable.

At long last, Jack raises his voice once more, forceful and low. "And if he returns?"

A tiny line forms between Ethan's lips. "Then we deal with it. But he won't at the moment. That's a promise."

Jack goes back to his chair and takes out his phone, frowning distractedly as he browses through his emails. He's only partially listening, and I can tell that his thoughts are focused on what Ethan might have done. Ben moves uneasily, and I can see the wheels turning in his brain as his personal issues boil beneath the surface.

"You know what?" Jack says abruptly in a tired voice. "We cannot afford to hide secrets from one another if we are to survive this. We need to be on the same page, all of us."

Ethan, who has been observing with a puzzled look, digs into his pocket and frowns as he looks down at his phone. He steps toward the door and raises the phone to his ear, saying hurriedly, "I need to take this."

The excuse is flimsy, and we all know it, but none of us say anything as he steps out of the room. Ben gives me an anxious glance, and I can see the uncertainty flitting in his eyes. It's disturbing to watch him so torn, and it's obvious that he's as uncertain about Ethan's motivations as I am.

Meanwhile, Jack sighs deeply and goes back to his emails, muttering something about the "endless complications" of the whole thing. But when Ben points to the door, obviously meaning to pursue Ethan and obtain some answers, he doesn't object.

I'm left standing in quiet while Ben sneaks out after him, a hundred questions racing through my head. I turn to face Jack, who gives me a weary, perceptive expression, and I can tell he shares my apprehension.

"What do you believe his true intentions are?" I ask, hardly raising my voice above a whisper.

Jack looks at the door and shakes his head. "To be honest? I don't know. But we'd better be ready for the consequences, whatever it is."

I can feel the weight of his words pressing down on me, and a feeling of dread seeping into my chest. Whatever Ethan's strategy is, one thing is certain: we've all gotten ourselves into too much trouble to go back. Even though I really want to believe him, I can't help but sense that this is just the start of something far more sinister.