CHAPTER 9 — The Message

At 11:47 PM, Adrian received an email.
No subject line.
Just one attachment.
A screenshot of the joint account.
Balance: $0.00
Below it, a single line:
“You said I was too soft for this world.
You were right. I just learned faster than you did.”
No signature.
But he didn’t need one.
His phone slipped from his hand.
Hit the floor.
May you like
And for the first time in his life—
Adrian Hale felt small.