As Ethan and I rushed back to my flat, the file felt heavy in my hands, and every step was tense. The odd stranger, the urgent warnings, the mystery file all of it was a muddle of what had happened that night. My mind was racing with questions, and my heart was pounding. How did they find out about the arrangement and who was this individual? What was it I couldn't rely on? It seemed like I was slipping further and deeper into an incomprehensible web with each step toward home.
Ethan shut the door behind us and locked it when we arrived at my flat. Even though his eyes were worried, he nodded reassuringly.
He pointed to the file and said, "Let's see what's inside."
With my hands shaking a little, I opened it and placed it on the coffee table. Photographs, handwritten notes, and paperwork were all carefully arranged. The knowledge that this file contained answers I wasn't sure I was prepared to confront made my stomach turn as I started to go through the pages.