~LAYLA~
Axel and I were in the study reviewing financial reports when Tye walked in. He looked exhausted; his shoulders were tense, and his jaw was tight.
Without a word, he tossed Downson's burner phone onto the desk with a heavy thud, then headed straight for the whisky decanter.
He poured himself a generous drink and crashed onto the leather couch, downing half of it in one gulp.
"Well?" Axel asked, watching him carefully. "Did she talk?"
"Oh, she talked." Tye stared into his glass. "You were right, Layla. Erica was Downson's inside woman. She confirmed everything: the setup, the sabotage, how they planned to escape if things went south. All of it."
Relief flooded through me. Finally, we had what we needed. "So it's Charles. We finally have him."
"No." Tye's voice was flat. "We don't."
I exchanged a confused glance with Axel. "What do you mean? Erica just confirmed…"
