Andrew Lane sat in the backseat, listening. Emily Blair felt a chill prickle along her scalp-she was one second away from clamping a hand over Tristan Davis's mouth.

"I know. You should head home first," Tristan said quietly.

Just before Emily closed the car door, Tristan glanced across the spacious

backseat. Andrew Lane sat there in a crisp suit, legs crossed, looking utterly relaxed as he leaned against the seat.

Sensing Tristan's stare, Andrew slowly turned his head, his eyes cool and unfathomable.

The heat that usually sparkled in Tristan's striking eyes faded, replaced by a thin sheen of frost.

If Emily had looked up at that moment, she would have been startled—she had never seen this expression on Tristan's face, not even back when they'd first met and he'd misunderstood her intentions.

Two men locked eyes, the tension crackling between them.

Before Emily could notice, Tristan looked away and murmured, "Come back soon."

She nodded and closed the door.

Tristan watched as the car pulled away, his hand curling slowly into a fist.

Jesse approached, taking in Tristan's cold expression with a hint of unease. "Tristan."

"Talk," Tristan replied.

Jesse lowered his voice. "We got a lead. Benjamin Gomez landed a while ago. There's a woman with him-wearing a mask and sunglasses. Can't see her face, but from her height, she could be Isabella Austin."

Tristan's brow twitched. "Could be?"

Jesse nodded. "Yeah. She doesn't want anyone recognizing her, so she's dressed in baggy clothes. Hard to judge her build. She's even hunched over, so we can't tell her exact height."

"Keep digging," Tristan ordered.

“Understood.” Jesse hesitated, then added, “We also checked up on Jeremy Cox. No suspicious activity in his bank accounts or assets. The police found his journal- it's almost all curses and threats against Ms. Blair. Motive's clear. So, based on all the evidence, Jeremy Cox really is our guy."

But Tristan remembered the question Emily had asked the police-why Alex White got dragged into this. Jeremy Cox had said that Emily and Alex had been meeting often, and he'd assumed there was something romantic between them. That's why he went after Alex.

Tristan let out a cold laugh at the thought.

"Keep your eyes on them," he said.

In the car, Emily nervously twisted the fabric of her skirt, then spoke softly, "I never got the chance to thank Mr. Lane.”

She turned to Andrew. "Thank you for rescuing me when I was kidnapped."

Andrew glanced at her, his voice indifferent. "It was nothing. No need to thank me."

Emily was silent for a moment. Then she offered, "About Isabella Austin... I'm sorry for your loss."

Andrew didn't respond.

Emily thought the conversation was over, but suddenly Andrew spoke. "She still owed you an apology."

With the truth about the Matthew Ross case out in the open, Isabella Austin's secret -hiring someone to ghostwrite her piano piece-couldn't be hidden anymore.

Back then, the drama between Vivian Martin, Emily, and Isabella had been a scandal. Isabella had manipulated public opinion to bury her plagiarism, keeping the truth tightly under wraps. Now, with the case reopened, her theft from Vivian Martin finally came to light.

The truth was out at last-but how many people would actually know?