Chapter 3 - The Cold Truth On Michigan Avenue
Victoria felt the world tilt on its axis, the sounds of car horns and chatting pedestrians fading into a muted, ringing haze.
She reached out with a trembling hand, her manicured fingers gently brushing Leo’s cheek before she knelt on the hard concrete sidewalk.
Her dark navy tailored blazer suit brushed against the dusty pavement, but the high-powered corporate attorney didn’t care about the stain.
She looked at the golden feather brooch pinned to her lapel, its teardrop blue gem reflecting the orange sky, matching the pin in Leo’s small hand.
Sophia Blake had been Victoria’s twin sister—a brilliant environmental scientist who had vanished eight years ago after discovering illegal dumping in the Great Lakes.
When Victoria’s powerful corporate family claimed Sophia had perished in a tragic hospital fire, Victoria had spent years mourning her lost sister.
“Who told you to come to Chicago, Leo?” Victoria asked, her voice dropping into an urgent, protective whisper as she took his hand.
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“My mom hid me in a closet when those men came,” Leo explained, his hazel eyes wide and earnest as he held the pin tighter.
“She gave me this pin, fifty dollars, and a bus ticket to Chicago. She told me to stand under the big flag until I saw the matching brooch.”
