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She was determined to rip the Evans family out by the roots. Having gathered enough evidence, she called Lucas. “Package it all up and send it to the Kingtonelle PD. Tell them to throw the entire damn book at them.”

“Copy that, boss. You know I live for this,” Lucas said, his voice crackling with anticipation. He truly thrived on chaos. “But, uh, boss? There’s something else you should probably know.” His tone shifted, the usual bravado reced by uncharacteristic hesitation.

“Spit it out,” Olivia said, a note of impatience sharpening her tone as she nced at the clock. She was running fna0cb Follow current nov?ls on F?ndNovel/fna0cb

“Howard is offering 3 million dors. To investigate…” Lucas trailed off, searching for the right words.

‘The guy has some nerve,‘ he thought, ‘targeting our boss?‘

“Lucas. Now.” Olivia’s voice sharpened into a de.

“He wants us to investigate… you,” said Lucas.

A beat of silence passed before a low, amused chuckle escaped her. “Howard wants to investigate me?”

‘Now that was interesting,‘ Olivia mused. Howard’s image in his racing gear shed in her mind–cocky, but otherwise unremarkable.

“Did he give a reason?” she asked.

“No,” Lucas confirmed, double–checking the order details. “Just that the 3 million is a down payment. Another 3 uponpletion. Total 6 million.”

‘Well, well. Howard is flush with cash,‘ Olivia mused. ‘Do Fl drivers really make that much? Maybe I’m in the wrong business.‘ Her thoughts began to wander,pletely forgetting Lucas was still on the line.

“So… boss? What’s the call?” Lucas’s voice pulled her back to the present.

“No,” Olivia said. “Why would I help someone investigate me? It seems like a spectacr waste of my time.” With that, she ended the call and stared out the taxi window, her mind already racing down other avenues.

“What? Rejected? Why?” Howard yelled into his phone, not caring who heard him. “I thought Shadow Syndicate took any job if the price was right. 6 million dors isn’t enough? Name your price. Money is no object!”

Howard, with his shock of styled red hair and a tall, athletic build, radiated a cocky, rebellious energy.

He leaned against the sleek chassis of his newly acquired Auros Rush–1999 hyperbike, helmet tucked under his arm, looking every bit the racing star in his dark grey designer jacket.

He’de to pick up Olivia, hoping to casually probe her memory. The t–out rejection from Shadow

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Syndicate was a major p in the face. ‘What’s their problem? Do they know who I am?

“It’s not the money,” the contact said, his voice low and hurried. “Word is, the order came down from the very top. You might want to do a serious inventory of who you’ve pissed offtely. The line went dead with a conclusive click.

Howard was floored. ‘Who could I have possibly pissed off? I’m freaking delightful!

“Whatever. I’ll just go see Ivy first,” he muttered, shelving the investigation idea for now. “Shadow Syndicate isn’t the only yer in this game.”

Every instinct he possessed screamed that Olivia was Ivy. He was, like, ny percent sure. All he needed was a DNA test to confirm it, but the right opportunity hadn’t presented itself.

The rose–shaped birthmark was identical to Ivy’s–same ce, same intricate pattern. The only discrepancy was the color–a vivid amethyst instead of the expected ruby red. ‘It bugged the hell out of himb. /b

A rapid, impatient pounding on the gate made Grace jump, the snap pea she was hulling tumbling from her fingers.

“Goodness, who in the world could that be at this hour?” Grace muttered, wiping her hands on her apron as she hurried to answer the door.

Howard stood on the doorstep, hefting two massive, crinkling bags overflowing with chips and candy. A brilliant, slightly nervous grin split his face. “I’m here to see my sister!”

Grace took an involuntary step back, her eyes sweeping over the mboyant young man with deep suspicion. “Who are you looking for, young man?”

‘He’s looking for his sister?‘ she thought warily. ‘Could he be rted to one of the children?‘

“Right! Introductions,” Howard said, dropping the bags with a soft thud and running a hand through his hair with practiced casualness. “I’m Howard Summers, an F1 driver.”

An awkward silence settled over the courtyard.

Across the yard, Sean’s eyes locked onto the snack bags withser focus. He immediately began inching toward the prize with single–minded purpose, sessfully maneuvering the bags into the shadows while everyone was distracted.

By the time Howard processed the prolonged silence, his peace offering had vanished. “Hey, you little thief! Those were for my sister,” Howard eximed, making a move as if to chase after Sean.

“Wait, sir!” Nina said, stepping swiftly between Howard and Sean. “Who exactly are you looking for? Are you certain you have the correct address?” Nina was quick thinking despite her youth.

“This is the ce,” Howard insisted, shooting a fierce re toward Sean and forcibly reining in his anger. He took a calming breath. “I sent her here yesterday. She’s Olivia.”

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At the mention of Olivia’s name, Nina and Grace exchanged a silent, wary nce..

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Grace’s eyes swept over Howard. She had to admit, there was a slight resemnce around the eyes. But after being fooled by Gina’s scheme, her trust was fragile. This could easily be another trick.

Last time, she even had faked a DNA report and almost taken Olivia away if not for Olivia’s sharp instincts. The old saying was right: once bitten, twice shy. She would not let her guard down around this young man iming to be a long–lost brother.

“Young man,” Grace said, her voice kind but firm, “it’s not wise to im family so quickly. Summers is amon enough name. Sharing a surname doesn’t make you siblings.” She ikept /iher tone gentle, hiding her fear of leading Olivia into another trap.

“I’m not mistaken,” Howard insisted, frustration etching lines on his brow. He forced himself to modte his tone. “I know she’s my sister. Please, you have to believe me.”

They were twins. The bond was different. When he first saw her, his heart just knew. It was pounding out of his chest. There was this voice in his head screaming, “That’s her!”

And it was not just a feeling. She had the mark behind her ear, just like Ivy did. It was identical–or almost identical.

His grandfather had had a mystic read Ivy’s fortunes based on it years ago. He remembered the fortune teller saying it was unique. No one else would have one.

Nina spoke up again, her voice calm but persistent. “Sir, do you have any proof? Anything tangible?” She watched his face closely, looking for any sign of deception. She knew Grace’s fears, and she shared them.

Howard’s confident demeanor faltered. ‘She was right. What did I really have? Except for a gut feeling and a glimpse of a birthmark?‘

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He did have one thing!

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It was 9:35 AM when Olivia arrived at the Sailing Education Center. Brutal traffic had made Olivia exactly five minuteste.

“Hi, I’m here for the prep ss. Olivia Summers,” she said, handing her enrollment papers to the man at the reception desk.

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