Chapter 185

Liam Blackwood stormed out of the cramped apartment, his face dark as thunder. An icy aura radiated from him as he brushed past Ryan Sullivan and Adrian Castillo.

The two men had never witnessed their commander in such a state before. The chill in his wake was so intense they feared their blood might freeze mid-stride. They barely dared to breathe as they trailed behind him.

Silently, they followed him down the stairs and into the waiting car. The engine roared to life as they pulled away from the curb.

In the backseat, Liam's expression grew more frigid with each passing mile. He leaned his head against the leather seat, eyes shut tight, his jaw clenched in silent fury.

The atmosphere inside the vehicle became so oppressive it felt like the oxygen was being sucked out.

Then a phone rang, shattering the tense silence.

Ryan fumbled with the device like it was a live grenade. He answered in hushed tones, terrified of disturbing the storm brewing in the backseat.

After a brief conversation, he hung up and turned hesitantly toward Liam.

"General Blackwood," he ventured cautiously, "the investigation into Ms. Dawson is complete. Would you like the report now?"

"Proceed," Liam replied, his voice like tempered steel.

"Solterra doesn't recognize dual citizenship, sir. The identity 'Victoria Dawson' doesn't officially exist in Aldenria's records."

Liam's eyes snapped open. Though his gaze appeared dull, his voice carried dangerous weight. "She changed nationalities?"

Ryan nodded. "Correct. She's not Aldenrian, and her legal name in Solterra is Cassandra Wright."

The temperature in the car seemed to drop another ten degrees. "Continue," Liam commanded.

Ryan swallowed hard before delivering the full report.

"Cassandra Wright was admitted to Solterra's most prestigious academy at fourteen. However, she never lived on campus and was rarely seen there. Few classmates remember her presence."

"Yet she consistently ranked first in every subject. Won numerous academic awards. Published five research papers during her university years - all in top-tier international journals."

"She graduated summa cum laude but missed the ceremony due to work commitments. Became something of a legend at the institution."

"At eighteen, she was assigned to a classified research facility. Her work was so sensitive she only got sixty days of leave per year."

"Her parents and uncle were kept in the dark about her exact position and location. Visits were strictly limited to her off days. No contact permitted outside those windows."

Ryan hesitated before continuing. "Three years ago, about a month before her return to Aldenria, security footage shows the family making regular video calls to her grandparents together."

"Then her parents died suddenly. We only found death certificates and empty graves. No cremation records exist."

"After that, Archibald Wright brought her back to Aldenria. She's been living here as Victoria Dawson ever since, but never held any official employment."

Liam's brow furrowed as he processed this information.

A changed nationality? Victoria Dawson didn't truly exist?

The puzzle was becoming more complex by the minute. After a long silence, Liam spoke again, his voice grave. "Can we obtain those video call recordings?"

Ryan shook his head. "Our tech team already hacked into Archibald Wright's devices, General. There are no backups or recordings of those calls."

Another heavy silence filled the car.

Adrian, gripping the steering wheel tightly, finally voiced what they were all thinking. "General... do you suspect the woman we know as Victoria Dawson isn't who she claims to be?"