CHAPTERORS CHAPTER 085 JULIANSPOV IcouldseehoweverythingwedjustlearnedwasalreadyweighingheavilyonOlivia.Hershoulderssagged,andhereyesdimmed.Wedcomesofar,onlytoslamintoyetanotherbrickwall.Itfeltlikeacrueljoke.
ButIwasntabouttoletthingsendlikethis.Noway.
Justbecauseshedidntknowherlastnamedidntmeanthetrailhadtogocold.Therehadtobeothersourcesotherways.Thiswasanorphanage;theyhadtohavemorethanjustnamesandfiles.Records.Logs.Footage.Something.
YoumusthavevideofootagefromthedayOliviawasbroughtin,Isaid,steppingforward.Therehastobeawaywecantracewhereshecamefrom.Whatifwecouldpinpointthelocationoridentifywhobroughtherin? Thewomandidnt evenflinch.Herfingers pausedbrieflyoverthekeyboard,butshedidntlookup.Shehadalreadytunedmeout.
Look,everythingyoureaskingfor…itsbeyondme,shesaid,atlast,hertoneclipped,almostdefensive.Imjustastaffmemberhere.Icantgodiggingintorecordslikethatwithoutproperclearance.YoureaskingmetocrosslinesImnotallowedtocross.
Itfeltlikeapunchtothegut.Sheclaimedshewantedtohelp,butshebarelyliftedafinger.
Olivialetoutasmall,defeatedsigh.Itsokay,shesaidquietly,managingaweaksmile.Thankyouforyourtime.Sorryforthetrouble.
Waitwhat? Shewasjustgoingtogiveuplikethat?No,Notlikethis.
Assheturnedonherheeltoleave,Ireachedoutandgentlygrabbedherwrist.Relax,Isaidfirmlybutsoftly.Youregivingupwaytooeasily.

Shelookedbackat me,confused,hereyessilentlyaskingwhatIwasplanning.
Fine.The woman saidshecouldnthelpbecauseshewasjustastaffmember.Thatwasunderstandable.Butifthiswasaboveherpaygrade,thenwedtakeittosomeonewhodidhavetheauthority.
Wewanttoseethedirector,Isaidsuddenly,turningmyattention backtothewomanbehindthedesk.
i Thatgotherattention.Shepausedtenninghaslightlyinherchair.
Successfullyunlocked! Whatareyoutalkingabout?shelow , …..esscreepingintohervoice.
Theowner ofthisorphanage,Irepeated.Thepersonincharge.Aretheyhereinthebuildingright now? 1/2 CHAPTER005 Shegavemealong,scrutinizinglook.Hereyesnarrowedslightly,tryingtofigureoutwhatIwasgettingat.
Andwhatifsheis?sheaskedafteramoment,hervoicelacedwithcuriosity.Whatexactlydoyouplantodo,Mr.Blake? Idliketospeakwithher,Isaidcalmly.
Thatmadehersmilethoughnotkindly.Itwasoneofthosesmuglittlesmilesthattold meshethoughtIwasoutofmydepth.
Youcantjustwalkinanddemandameetingwiththedirector,shesaid,shakingherhead.Thatsnothowthingsworkaroundhere.Youneedanappointment.Andtrustme,theydontcomeeasy.Shesaid.
ohplease,Mrs.Lambert,Isaid,keepingmytonecalmbutfirm,thisisntacorporateoffice.Itsanorphanage.Ifthedirectorisfree,Iwouldliketoseeher.Please.

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Shenarrowedhereyesatmelikeshewassizingmeup,debatingwhetherornottopushback.Thatsstillnothowitworks,Mr.Blake,shesaidflatly.
Isteppedcloser,loweringmyvoicejustenoughsoOliviawouldnthearme.Youtoldusearlierthatlosingyourparentswreckedyou.Yousaidyouwouldntwishthatpainonanotherwoman,remember?Well,asyoucansee,Oliviaisbackedintoacorner.Ifyoudonthelp,yourepassingthatsamepainontoher.Isthatsomethingyoucanlivewith? Hermouthopened,butnowords cameout.Icouldseetheconflictflashinginhereyesasmywordssankin.Shestaredatmeinsilenceforabeattoolongbeforefinallystanding.
Illgetyouanimmediateappointmentwithher,shesaidtightlyandheadedforthedoor.ButthatsthelastthingImdoingforeither ofyou.Ifitdoesntworkout,youleave.Nomorearguments.
Igaveherarespectfulnodandwatchedasshewalkedout.Thedoorclickedshutbehindher,leavingOliviaandmealoneoncemore.
Sheturnedtowardmeimmediately,eyeswidewithworry.Julian,whatareyoudoing?Whydoyouwanttoseethedirector?Ifshehearswhatweweresnoopingaroundfor,wecouldgetarrestedorbannedfromthisplace.Youknowthat,right? Ishrugged,tryingtoeasehermindwithasmallsmile.Youoverthinktoomuch,Liv.Trustme,justrelaxandletmehandlethis.Iwontletanythingbadhappen.
Shedidntlookconvinced,butshestayedquiet,pacingslightlylikehernervesweregettingthebestofher.Afewlongminuteslater,Mrs.Lambertreturned,notbotheringtohidetheannoyanceonherface .
Youvegottenminutes,shesaid.Afterthat,youtwoareleaving, nomatterwhat.
Withoutwaitingforaresponse,sheturnedandstartedwalking.Ifollowedhersilently,thehallwaystrangelyquietcomparedtothetensionpoundinginmychest.
2/3 CHAPTER085 Wereachedalargeoakdoubledoorattheendofthecorridor.Shepressedasmall bellembeddedinthewallbesideit.Afaintchimeechoedfrominsidetheoffice,andafewsecondslater,thedooropenedautomaticallywithasmoothhiss.
Mrs.Lambertdidntstepinside.Shesimplygesturedtowardtheentrance.ThisisasfarasIgo,shesaid.

Isteppedin.
ThemomentIcrossedthethreshold,itwaslikesteppingintoadifferentworld.Unlikethewornanddustycorridorsoftherestoftheorphanage,thisspacewaspristine-almostclinicalinitscleanliness,yetwarmwithpersonaltouches.Freshpainttingedtheairwiththatsharp,newscent.Anabstractcanvasleanedagainstthefarwall,half-finished,colorsstillwet.
AndthenIheardit.
Therhythmicswishofapaintbrushagainstthecanvas.
Iturned,andthereshewas.
Anolderwoman,maybeinherlatefortiesorearlyfifties,satonastoolfacingalargeeasel.Her graystreakedauburnhairwastiedbackinaloosebun,andherbrush.
movedwiththeeaseofsomeonewhohaddonethisforyears.Herpresencewascalm,almostsereneasiftheworldoutsidethatroomdidntexist.
Itookastepforward,myvoicesteady.
Youmustbethedirector.
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