Chapter 319

Cody Phillips took a swig straight from the bottle, not saying a word as he processed what James Bennett had just told him. He leaned back, cigarette in one hand and silence thick between them. James exhaled a slow puff of smoke, then crushed the cigarette into the ashtray. He grabbed a piece of candy from the table and popped it in his mouth. The sweetness clashed with the leftover bitterness from the smoke—it fit his current mood perfectly. "What do you think I should do next?" Cody sighed, sounding tired. "Since Director Lewis wants to pretend it never happened, then maybe just go along with her." The night was quiet, the sky clear but dim. Cody could barely stumble into the guest room, dead drunk. He passed out the second his body hit the bed. James closed the door behind him. It was still chilly in April. The breeze rolled in through the balcony, whisking away the lingering smell of smoke from James’s clothes. He leaned against the sliding door, eyes fixed on the distant city ligh