The woman remained frozen on the ground, Ethan's cold words hanging over her like a blade poised to fall. She did not dare hold anything back, not when one wrong sentence could end her life. The problem was that she truly did not know. Even so, her thoughts raced desperately as she searched for anything that might keep her breathing.
She looked up at him. "I honestly don't know who placed the contract—"
She stopped mid-sentence. Ethan's presence shifted, turning sharp and glacial, and killing intent poured off him without restraint. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks as instinct screamed at her to keep talking.
"But I know how Dark Net works," she rushed out. "They collect payment upfront and hold it in escrow. When the job's completed, the reward gets released to us. If—"
Ethan cut her off before she could finish.
"Interesting idea," he said calmly. "Using Dark Net's own system against me?"
