#Chapter 287: A Guardian

The phone rang twice before a deep, guarded voice answered, "Quinton speaking." "Hi, uh, Quinton. It's Evie," I said, attempting to sound confident despite the nerves that gnawed at me. "Who?" His voice was gruff, unyielding. "Evie. Evangeline," I clarified, though I was unsure if that would trigger any recognition. There was a pause, and I could almost hear the skepticism in his silence. "What do you want?" "I... I need to talk to you about Timothy," I said tentatively, trying to tread carefully. "He mentioned you, said he needed your help." There was a tangible shift in Quinton's tone, a subtle hardening. "I'm not involved in his business anymore." "He's in trouble, Quinton," I pressed on, feeling a pang of desperation. "He's been arrested for something he didn't do." The mention of Timothy's predicament seemed to hang in the air for a moment, a palpable weight between us. "Arrested?" His voice was colder, distant. "Yes, and he wants your help. He trusts you," I urged, hopin