A cold sweat broke across my skin, and for a moment I nearly lost my grip on the phone. How did he know? I had hidden it carefully inside my coat.
I forced myself to stay calm, took out the phone in front of him, and powered it off without hesitation. "Can we talk now?"
He straightened slightly, his posture composed, almost satisfied. "Of course."
"So, Mr. Tuffin," I asked, keeping my voice steady, "why did you take me against my will for no clear reason?"
The memory had been buried for months, but it still sat heavy in my chest, impossible to ignore without answers.
He lit a cigarette, inhaled slowly, and exhaled with ease, as if the question didn't trouble him at all. "I was acting on instructions. There was compensation involved."
I stayed silent, watching him closely.
