Chapter 187: A Better Gift
Evelyn stared at the worn-out keypad phone that Lucius’s team had retrieved. Lucius handed her a pair of gloves, and she slipped them on before carefully taking the device from him.
Her eyes scanned the phone, its surface scratched and faded from years of use. She pressed the power button, and the screen flickered to life, displaying a snake game that seemed to play on its own, followed by a loud beep. She attempted to unlock the phone, but nothing worked.
"Whoever this was, they’ve modified the phone’s system to their advantage," one of the tech experts explained, his tone laced with frustration. "It’s almost impossible to extract data without triggering its failsafe mechanisms."
Evelyn’s heart sank at the words. "So, there’s no way to trace the owner?" she asked, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her.
Lucius sighed and shook his head. "We might’ve had a chance if we’d intercepted the phone before it was left here. But now that it’s abandoned, it’s effectively a dead end."
Zevian’s sharp gaze swept the area. "What about CCTV coverage? Any chance we can catch the person who left it here?"
"Unfortunately, there’s little to no surveillance in this part of the city," Lucius replied, his expression grim. "Even if there were, the chances of identifying someone this cautious are slim."
Evelyn’s grip on the phone tightened as a heavy sigh escaped her lips. She pressed the power button again, hoping for a breakthrough. This time, the screen flashed, and a message began typing itself.
"There’s a message," Evelyn murmured, her voice barely audible over the tension crackling in the air. Everyone crowded around her, their curiosity piqued.
Lucius read aloud as the words appeared on the screen: "Stop searching for me. Instead, use your time to protect her. I don’t want her to die again."
Evelyn’s chest tightened at the cryptic warning. Was this a threat, or was someone genuinely trying to help? Her mind raced, torn between skepticism and a faint glimmer of hope.