The study fell into a comfortable silence as Ivy and Xander sorted through the countless files recovered from the underground storage room.

Dust covered most of the folders, but their contents had remained remarkably well preserved.

One after another, they opened the case files Frederick Wilson had handled during his years as a police officer.

Human trafficking.

Illegal arms smuggling.

Drug syndicates.

Money laundering.

Organized crime.

Frederick had investigated some of the country’s most dangerous criminal organizations, leaving behind meticulous notes and evidence.

Xander slowly closed another file and leaned back in his chair.

"No wonder my father admired him so much."

Ivy looked up.

"He often talked about Uncle Frederick. They worked together several times to dismantle underworld networks."

A faint smile appeared on Xander’s face.

"I even wanted to become like him."

"You did?" Ivy asked, surprised.

Xander chuckled softly.

"I was only ten."

He leaned against the back of his chair as the memory resurfaced.

"On my tenth birthday, I dressed up in a toy police uniform."

Ivy couldn’t help smiling.

"Really?"

He nodded.

"I proudly announced to everyone that I was going to become a famous police officer just like Uncle Frederick."

His smile widened.

"But there was one little girl who immediately objected."

Ivy rested her chin on her hand.

"What happened?"

"She marched right up to me, pointed her finger at my face, and said, ’No! I’m going to become a police officer like my daddy. You have to choose something else.’"

Xander laughed at the memory.

"She was tiny... but incredibly fierce."

"I remember arguing with her for nearly ten minutes."

"So who won?"

"Neither of us."

He smiled warmly.

"Uncle Frederick crouched down between us and said there was no rule saying only one person could become a police officer."

"He told us we could both grow up protecting people together."

Xander shook his head, still amused.

"After thinking about it very seriously, she agreed."

"’Fine,’ she said, ’but only because Daddy said so.’"

Ivy’s heart tightened.

She couldn’t remember the moment herself.

Yet somehow...

Listening to Xander describe it made her feel as though she had been there.

Like she could almost hear her father’s laughter.

She lowered her eyes.

"Do you..."

She hesitated.

"Do you remember that little girl’s name?"

Xander frowned thoughtfully.

He searched his memory for several moments before his eyes brightened.

"June."

He nodded with certainty.

"That’s right."

"I remember Uncle Frederick calling her June."

The moment the name left his lips...

Ivy froze.

Her breathing hitched.

June.

The same name she had heard in the memories at the burned house.

The name her parents had lovingly called her.

A lump formed in her throat.

Her eyes slowly filled with tears.

Xander immediately noticed.

"Hey..."

He reached across the table and gently held her hand.

"Why do you suddenly look so sad?"

Ivy forced a weak smile.

"I was just wondering..."

Her voice trembled.

"...what they must have gone through that night."

Xander’s expression immediately darkened.

He shook his head.

"I don’t believe they’re dead."

Ivy looked at him.

"The forensic reports already proved that only Mrs. Wilson died in the fire."

"The remaining bodies were never identified as Frederick, June, or Luna."

Someone had deliberately staged the scene.

Someone wanted the entire world to believe the Wilson family had perished.

"They planned the murders," Xander said quietly.

"But something went wrong."

"They wanted everyone—including me—to believe Frederick and his children died that night."

His gaze hardened.

"They underestimated one thing."

"They failed."

Ivy squeezed his hand. Deep inside, hope quietly began to bloom.

If her father and little sister had escaped... then perhaps...

They were still alive.

***

Meanwhile, a black sedan screeched to a stop outside the police station.

Florine hurried out, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement.

Her heart pounded as she rushed inside.

The moment she spotted Nora sitting inside the holding area, her face turned pale.

"Nora!"

She instinctively rushed toward her daughter.

Before she could get any closer, a policewoman stepped in front of her.

"I’m sorry, ma’am."

"You’ll need to speak with the investigating officer first."

Florine reluctantly stopped.

Only then did she get a proper look at Nora.

Her daughter’s hair was disheveled.

Mascara streaked her cheeks.

Her expensive dress was wrinkled.

The confident smile she usually wore had disappeared entirely.

The moment Nora saw her mother, she jumped to her feet.

"Mom!"

"Please get me out of here!"

"I didn’t do anything!"

Florine’s heart ached.

Before she could respond, another furious voice echoed through the station.

"Liar!"

Florine turned.

Olivia sat across from the investigating officer, an ice pack pressed against the bruise on her cheek.

Beside her sat Polly.

Her forehead was wrapped in a clean white bandage, and a fresh dressing covered a cut on her forearm.

Florine’s eyes widened.

Polly...

What happened to them?

Polly glared at Nora with undisguised hatred.

"You attacked us."

"You smashed a bottle and tried to stab Olivia!"

"You think we’ll just forgive you?"

Nora immediately shook her head.

"No!"

"They attacked me first!"

"I was only defending myself!"

The investigating officer calmly pressed a button on his computer.

"Mrs. Ford."

"I believe you should watch this."

He turned the monitor toward her.

The CCTV footage from the bar began playing.

It clearly showed the argument escalating.

The first shove.

The struggle.

Then Nora grabbing a glass bottle from a nearby table.

She smashed it against the edge of the counter before lunging toward Olivia.

The broken bottle narrowly missed Olivia’s shoulder as Polly stepped between them.

The footage continued, showing staff and customers rushing in to pull Nora away before anyone suffered a more serious injury.

When the video ended, silence filled the room.

Florine’s expression stiffened.

Nora immediately shook her head.

"Mom, that’s not what happened!"

"They cornered me!"

"I was scared!"

"I only picked up the bottle to protect myself!"

Olivia let out a bitter laugh.

"Protect yourself?"

"You chased us across the bar."

Polly’s eyes burned with anger.

"If the staff hadn’t stopped you, someone could’ve died."

Florine took a slow breath before stepping closer to the officer.

"My daughter acted in self-defense."

"The video doesn’t show what happened before the fight."

Olivia rose from her chair.

"So you’re defending her?"

"Of course I am."

"She’s my daughter."

Polly stood as well.

"Then you should also teach your daughter to take responsibility."

Florine’s expression cooled.

"I’m sure this misunderstanding can be settled privately."

Olivia folded her arms.

"No."

Polly nodded firmly.

"We’re filing charges."

"We have medical reports."

"The CCTV footage."

"And over thirty witnesses."

"We’ll make sure Nora faces the consequences."

Nora’s face drained of color.

Florine remained composed.

"You two should think carefully before making enemies you can’t afford."

Olivia frowned.

"Is that supposed to be a threat?"

Florine smiled faintly.

"No."

"It’s advice."

She adjusted her handbag before speaking with quiet confidence.

"My family has the Emersons’ support."

Florine’s words stunned everyone in the room.

Even Nora stared at her mother in disbelief.

No...

Her heart began to race.

Mom... don’t do this.

She feared whether just like her even her mother would be left humilated.

Olivia let out a mocking laugh.

"So now even you’re using the Emerson family as a shield?"

She folded her arms and looked at Florine with open skepticism.

"Auntie, we already know the truth."

"Nora wasn’t Aaron Emerson’s girlfriend."

"She wasn’t his fiancée."

"And she certainly wasn’t going to become the future daughter-in-law of the Emerson family."

Olivia’s voice grew sharper with every sentence.

"She lied to all of us."

"She made us believe Aaron was in love with her when, in reality, he had already cut all ties with her."

Polly nodded bitterly.

"We defended her countless times because we believed those lies."

"We even bullied Ivy because of them."

The reminder only deepened the guilt in the room.

Florine slowly turned toward Nora.

Her expression darkened.

"So..." she said quietly.

"Is it true?"

Nora lowered her head, unable to meet her mother’s eyes.

The silence was enough to answer the question.

Florine closed her eyes for a brief moment before taking a slow breath.

When she opened them again, she looked back at Olivia.

"My daughter may not be Aaron Emerson’s future wife," she admitted.

"But that doesn’t mean the Emerson family has completely cut ties with us."

Olivia scoffed.

"Do you honestly expect us to believe that?"

"I don’t expect you to believe me."

Florine calmly reached into her handbag and took out her phone.

"I’ll prove it."

Both Olivia and Polly exchanged doubtful glances.

Florine scrolled through her contacts before selecting a number.

She pressed the call button.

The room fell silent.

Everyone watched as the phone rang.

Once...

Twice...

Three times...

Then the call connected.

"Hello?"

The moment Florine spoke, everyone there looked at her curiously.

***

Back inside the study, Xander closed another file after finishing it. The moment his eyes landed on Ivy’s sleeping figure, every trace of exhaustion on his face disappeared.

Without wasting a second, he stood, walked over to her, and carefully lifted her into his arms. He carried her to the couch and gently laid her down, making sure she was comfortable.

Brushing a few strands of hair away from her face, he lingered for a moment before returning to his desk, ready to resume his work.

Just then, his phone rang.

The moment he heard what Taylor had to say, the warmth in his expression vanished, replaced by a chilling coldness.