The drive to Ryan’s apartment was tense. Amelia kept glancing in her rearview mirror, her heart racing. A dark sedan followed her for several blocks, its movements too deliberate to be coincidental.
“Great. More drama,” she muttered, gripping the steering wheel.
She took a sudden right turn and then another, weaving through side streets. The sedan mirrored her moves. “Alright, you want to play?” Amelia whispered, her pulse quickening.
She veered into a crowded shopping center parking lot and circled twice before slipping into a hidden space near the back. Minutes passed as she crouched low, her breath shallow, watching the sedan cruise past without stopping.
Her hands were shaking when she finally pulled back onto the road, adrenaline coursing through her veins. By the time she reached Ryan’s apartment, she was on edge, clutching the evidence so tightly that the pages crinkled.
Ryan opened the door, his expression a mix of annoyance and weariness. “What now, Amelia?” he asked, his tone flat.
Without waiting for an invitation, Amelia pushed past him and slammed the printouts onto his coffee table. “This,” she said sharply, her voice trembling with anger. “This is what I’ve been working on.”
Ryan frowned, picking up the papers. As his eyes scanned the text, his expression darkened. “Brenda?” he muttered, disbelief creeping into his voice.
“Yes,” Amelia said, crossing her arms. “She’s been working with Hale for months. Feeding him everything about you—about us.”
Ryan tossed the papers down, pacing the room. “Unbelievable,” he muttered. “I knew she was desperate, but this?” He turned to face Amelia, his eyes filled with a mix of frustration and guilt. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Would you have listened?” Amelia shot back, her voice rising. “You’ve done nothing but accuse me of betrayal since this started. I’ve been trying to protect the kids while you’ve been wallowing in your own paranoia.”
Ryan’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond immediately. He picked up the papers again, flipping through them with a growing sense of urgency.
“This is bad,” he admitted, his voice low. “If Hale’s been planning this with Brenda, it’s only going to get worse.”
“Exactly,” Amelia said, stepping closer. “That’s why I’m here. We need to stop them. Together.”