Ethan opened the folder. Inside were grainy photos from the late nineties: a young couple smiling with a dark-haired little girl. The woman had Lena’s eyes. The man had her chin.
“Twenty-six years ago,” Julian said quietly, “my older brother Elias and his wife Adrienne died in a house fire in Westchester. Their four-year-old daughter, Chloe, was never found. The official conclusion was that she perished with them. No remains, no witnesses, case closed.” He met Ethan’s gaze. “Two months ago I hired a new investigator—one last attempt before I died without knowing. Modern facial-recognition software, expanded databases, DNA from a routine blood draw Lena gave years ago at a clinic… everything matched.”
Ethan’s knees buckled. He sat hard.