Chapter 10: The Photograph.
836 Words
Chapter 10: The Photograph
The archive room remained in complete disarray long after the guards had finished searching it.
Papers were scattered across the floor, filing cabinets stood open, and the air still carried the tension of a crime that had happened only minutes earlier. Despite the chaos, Ethan remained standing near the empty shelf, his expression unreadable as he stared at the place where the stolen file had once been.
Nobody dared interrupt him.
Not Lucas.
Not the guards.
Not even Ava.
For some reason, she felt that Ethan was far more dangerous when he was silent than when he was angry.
After several minutes, Ethan finally turned toward his men.
"Search every security recording again. I want every camera reviewed frame by frame."
His voice was calm, but everyone immediately rushed to obey.
"Yes, boss."
As the room slowly emptied, Ava remained behind.
Her eyes wandered across the countless papers scattered on the floor.
Most of them looked old.
Very old.
Some contained business reports, while others appeared to be family documents dating back decades.
Curiosity tugged at her.
Slowly, she crouched down and began gathering some of the loose papers.
"If you keep helping, they might actually think you're useful."
Ava rolled her eyes without looking up.
"And if you keep making comments like that, people might think you're capable of being pleasant."
Ethan ignored her response.
Or at least pretended to.
As Ava reached beneath a fallen folder, her fingers brushed against something smooth.
A photograph.
She pulled it out carefully and frowned.
The picture looked old, its edges slightly worn with age.
Three people stood smiling at the camera.
A young man.
A beautiful woman.
And another man standing beside them.
Ava studied the faces.
The young man immediately caught her attention.
Even though he was younger, the resemblance was obvious.
The eyes.
The jawline.
The expression.
"Ethan," she said quietly.
He glanced over.
"What?"
She held up the photograph.
For the first time, something flickered across his face.
Not anger.
Not annoyance.
Something closer to surprise.
Slowly, he walked toward her.
"Where did you find that?"
"It was under one of the folders."
Ethan took the photograph from her hand.
His gaze lingered on it for several seconds.
Ava immediately knew who the couple were.
"Your parents?"
He nodded once.
The simple answer carried more emotion than she expected.
She looked at the third man in the photograph.
Something about him felt strangely familiar.
Very familiar.
Ava frowned.
She knew that face.
She was sure of it.
But from where?
The harder she thought, the more frustrated she became.
Then suddenly it hit her.
Her eyes widened.
"No way."
Ethan looked at her sharply.
"What?"
Ava pointed at the man in the picture.
"I've seen him before."
The room instantly grew silent.
Ethan's attention sharpened immediately.
"Where?"
Ava swallowed.
She wasn't entirely certain.
But she couldn't ignore the feeling.
"I think..."
Her voice trailed off.
"I think I've seen this man in one of my grandfather's old photo albums."
For a moment, Ethan didn't react.
Then his entire body went still.
Ava had never seen someone become so motionless so quickly.
"Are you sure?"
His voice was low.
Dangerously low.
Ava hesitated.
"Not completely."
Ethan stepped closer.
"Think carefully."
She looked at the photograph again.
The memory became clearer.
Years ago, while helping her grandfather clean out old boxes, she had found several photographs from his military days.
One of those pictures had included a man who looked exactly like the one standing beside Ethan's parents.
The same face.
The same smile.
The same eyes.
"I've definitely seen him before."
Ethan's grip tightened around the photograph.
Lucas, who had just returned, immediately noticed the tension.
"What happened?"
Neither answered immediately.
Finally, Ethan handed him the photograph.
Lucas studied it.
Then looked back up.
"What about it?"
"Ava recognizes him."
Lucas frowned.
"From where?"
"Her grandfather."
The color drained slightly from Lucas's face.
For the first time, even he looked concerned.
The room fell silent again.
Because if Ava was right, then this changed everything.
For years, Ethan had been chasing answers about his parents' deaths.
For years, every lead had ended in failure.
And now, completely by accident, the strongest lead he had ever found might be connected to Ava's grandfather.
The realization made Ava's stomach twist.
She loved her grandfather.
Trusted him completely.
But what if he had been hiding something?
What if he knew more than he had ever admitted?
Ethan slipped the photograph into his jacket pocket.
His eyes met hers.
"When was the last time you saw your grandfather's photo albums?"
Ava swallowed hard.
"At home."
A dangerous determination settled into Ethan's expression.
One that told her he had already made a decision.
"We're going to visit him."
For the first time, Ava wasn't sure whether that was a good idea.
Because deep down, she had a feeling that the answers waiting at her grandfather's apartment might be far more dangerous than either of them expected.
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