#Chapter 52: Heated Exchange

Liam's POV I pace the office, glancing at the clock. It’s late, and my assistant should have been back with an update by now. This investigation—it’s taking longer than I expected, and the lack of progress is grating on me. There’s something off about Joe’s birth records, something that doesn’t add up. The more I think about it, the more it gnaws at me, like a puzzle with missing pieces that refuse to fit together. The door swings open, and my assistant walks in, looking harried. She has a folder clutched in her hands, but her expression tells me everything I need to know. "I checked the databases again," she says, her voice tight with apology. "There’s nothing. No new leads, no additional records beyond what we’ve already found." I rub my temples, the frustration mounting. "That can’t be right," I mutter, more to myself than to her. "There’s something we’re missing. There has to be." "I’ve exhausted every official channel," she replies carefully, stepping forward to place