CHAPTER ORS
CHAPTER 085
JULIAN’S POV
I could see how everything we’d just learned was already weighing heavily on Olivia. Her shoulders sagged, and her eyes dimmed. We’d come so far, only to slam into yet another brick wall. It felt like a cruel joke.
But I wasn’t about to let things end like this. No way.
Just because she didn’t know her last name didn’t mean the trail had to go cold. There had to be other sources–other ways. This was an orphanage; they had to have more than just names and files. Records. Logs. Footage. Something.
“You must have video footage from the day Olivia was brought in,” I said, stepping forward. “There has to be a way we can trace where she came from. What if we could pinpoint the location or identify who brought her in?”
The woman didn’t even flinch. Her fingers paused briefly over the keyboard, but she didn’t look up. She had already tuned me out.
“Look, everything you’re asking for… it’s beyond me,” she said, at last, her tone clipped, almost defensive. “I’m just a staff member here. I can’t go digging into records like that without proper clearance. You’re asking me to cross lines I’m not allowed to cross.”
It felt like a punch to the gut. She claimed she wanted to help, but she barely lifted a finger.
Olivia let out a small, defeated sigh. “It’s okay,” she said quietly, managing a weak smile. “Thank you for your time. Sorry for the trouble.”
Wait–what?
She was just going to give up like that? No, Not like this.
As she turned on her heel to leave, I reached out and gently grabbed her wrist. “Relax,” I said firmly but softly. “You’re giving up way too easily.”
She looked back at me, confused, her eyes silently asking what I was planning.
Fine. The woman said she couldn’t help because she was just a staff member. That was understandable. But if this was above her pay grade, then we’d take it to someone who did have the authority.
“We want to see the director,” I said suddenly, turning my attention back to the woman behind the desk.
i
That got her attention. She paused tenning has lightly in her chair.
Successfully unlocked!
“What are you talking about?” she low,…..ess creeping into her voice.
“The owner of this orphanage,” I repeated. “The person in charge. Are they here in the building right now?”
1/2
CHAPTER 005
She gave me a long, scrutinizing look. Her eyes narrowed slightly, trying to figure out what I was getting at.
“And what if she is?” she asked after a moment, her voice laced with curiosity. “What exactly do you plan to do, Mr. Blake?”
“I’d like to speak with her,” I said calmly.
That made her smile–though not kindly. It was one of those smug little smiles that told me she thought I was out of my depth.
“You can’t just walk in and demand a meeting with the director,” she said, shaking her head. “That’s not how things work around here. You need an appointment. And trust me, they don’t come easy.” She said.
oh please, Mrs. Lambert,” I said, keeping my tone calm but firm, “this isn’t a corporate office. It’s an orphanage. If the director is free, I would like to see her. Please.”
She narrowed her eyes at me like she was sizing me up, debating whether or not to push back. “That’s still not how it works, Mr. Blake,” she said flatly.
I stepped closer, lowering my voice just enough so Olivia wouldn’t hear me. “You told us earlier that losing your parents wrecked you. You said you wouldn’t wish that pain on another woman, remember? Well, as you can see, Olivia is backed into a corner. If you don’t help, you’re passing that same pain onto her. Is that something you can live with?”
Her mouth opened, but no words came out. I could see the conflict flashing in her eyes as my words sank in. She stared at me in silence for a beat too long before finally standing.
“I’ll get you an immediate appointment with her,” she said tightly and headed for the door. “But that’s the last thing I’m doing for either of you. If it doesn’t work out, you leave. No more arguments.”
I gave her a respectful nod and watched as she walked out. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Olivia and me alone once more.
She turned toward me immediately, eyes wide with worry. “Julian, what are you doing? Why do you want to see the director? If she hears what we were snooping around for, we could get arrested or banned from this place. You know that, right?”
I shrugged, trying to ease her mind with a small smile. “You overthink too much, Liv. Trust me, just relax and let me handle this. I won’t let anything bad happen.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she stayed quiet, pacing slightly like her nerves were getting the best of her. A few long minutes later, Mrs. Lambert returned, not bothering to hide the annoyance on her face.
“You’ve got ten minutes,” she said. “After that, you two are leaving, no matter what.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned and started walking. I followed her silently, the hallway strangely quiet compared to the tension pounding in my chest.
2/3
CHAPTER 085
We reached a large oak double door at the end of the corridor. She pressed a small
bell embedded in the wall beside it. A faint chime echoed from inside the office, and a few seconds later, the door opened automatically with a smooth hiss.
Mrs. Lambert didn’t step inside. She simply gestured toward the entrance. “This is as far as I go,” she said.
I stepped in.
The moment I crossed the threshold, it was like stepping into a different world. Unlike the worn and dusty corridors of the rest of the orphanage, this space was pristine- almost clinical in its cleanliness, yet warm with personal touches. Fresh paint tinged the air with that sharp, new scent. An abstract canvas leaned against the far wall, half- finished, colors still wet.
And then I heard it.
The rhythmic swish of a paintbrush against the canvas.
I turned, and there she was.
An older woman, maybe in her late forties or early fifties, sat on a stool facing a large easel. Her gray–streaked auburn hair was tied back in a loose bun, and her brush.
moved with the ease of someone who had done this for years. Her presence was calm, almost serene as if the world outside that room didn’t exist.
I took a step forward, my voice steady.
“You must be the director.”
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