Nathan felt something rising in his chest—something he thought he’d buried deep enough never to feel again.
Hope.
And hope hurt.
“What’s your name?” Nathan asked, trying to control the shake in his voice.
“Aiden, sir.”
“And what do you want in return for… continuing this story, Aiden?”
The boy’s gaze dropped to his own stomach right as it growled loudly, answering for him.
“Just… a plate of food, sir,” Aiden said. “Let me eat, and I’ll take you to where I saw her.”
The words hit Nathan like a verdict. He looked at the boy: thin as a shadow, hands filthy, but eyes clear—too clear to be faking something like this.
Something inside Nathan broke… or maybe, for the first time in two years, it started to mend.
Somewhere nearby, the past was beginning to stir. And with it, a truth that would flip his life upside down.
The housekeeper brought in a plate overflowing with food. Aiden sat on the floor, ignoring the expensive rug, and ate with a desperate urgency that was hard to watch. Nathan watched him in silence, feeling a strange mix of tenderness and fear.
“Tell me exactly where you saw her,” Nathan finally said.
Aiden wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.