Chapter 19
By sunrise, Ethan and Marcus were sitting in the study surrounded by maps, birth registries, and adoption databases.
Marcus had tracked the primary obstetrician who delivered Clara's children at the private Boston clinic seven years ago.
Dr. Richard Hayes had abruptly retired three days after the delivery and moved to an isolated property in Vermont.
"Hayes lives in a secluded cabin near Lake Champlain," Marcus pointed to a satellite image on his tablet.
"He hasn't held a medical license in six years, but he still maintains three private offshore accounts."
"We drive to Vermont right now," Ethan declared, grabbing his jacket from the back of the couch.
"Arthur will stay here at the estate with a private security detail to guard Lily while we're gone."
They left the estate as the morning sun rose over the Long Island Sound, heading north toward the New England border.
The four-hour drive through the mountainous terrain of Vermont was filled with heavy, suspenseful silence.
Ethan kept his hand resting on the printed birth certificate, his mind racing with endless questions.
Why had Clara hidden Oliver? Who was raising him now? Was he safe from the remnants of Victoria's network?
They arrived at the winding gravel driveway of the Vermont cabin just as a light mountain rain began to fall.
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The secluded cabin stood surrounded by dense pine trees, looking quiet, dark, and seemingly abandoned.
Ethan pushed open the car door and stepped out onto the wet gravel, walking purposefully toward the porch.
