From Betrayal to Brilliance Her Rise to a New Life novel Chapter 395

Chapter 395 A Fading Trail

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Finished

The days that followed became a blur of hope and disappointment, repeating over and over again.

Athena practically lived in Zaden’s office.

She couldn’t settle down and wait at home; it was too empty, too quiet, and only made her overthink everything.

Zaden understood her and specially cleared out a quiet corner in his office for her so she could get updates right away.

Every day, new information was gathered from various sources, summarized by Rowan, and then reported to them.

The first group that went to Bluestone Town sent word back that no record of adoptions seven years ago. They even visited nearby villages, but no one recalled anyone coming to give away a child, nor did any family have doctors or nurses at home.

The first location was crossed off.

Athena watched the mark disappear from the map and she frowned deeply.

Zaden said nothing, just pushed a plate of freshly delivered pastries toward her.

The second lead pointed to Clearbrooke Town.

Investigators found a few families with the surname Rhett, but none matched the age or profile of the director that Lewis had mentioned.

Also, the town was relatively busy, and records of people coming and going were clear. There were no reports of abnormal infant movements seven years ago.

The second location’s mark also faded.

Their hope was quickly deflating.

Athena leaned back against the chair, closing her eyes. Fatigue and disappointment were close to drowning her.

Was Lewis lying again? Or was his memory wrong? Was the location completely off?

“There are still five left,” Zaden’s calm voice came from beside her.

He spoke steadily, trying to anchor her. “Maybe the place isn’t even on this list. We knew this

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Chapter 395 A Fading Trail

could happen, didn’t we? Searching is all about eliminating possibilities.”

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He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Take a break, Athena. You look tired. Let me have the driver take you home to rest for a while.”

Athena shook her head. Though her eyes were weary, her tone was stubborn. “No. I’ll wait here.”

She was afraid of missing any possible clue, no matter how small.

Zaden sighed and didn’t force her.

He instructed his secretary to brew some tea and then sat down beside her. In between dealing with his work, he would look up at her occasionally, offering silent companionship.

Rowan’s team had their office two floors down. It felt more like the nerve center of this search operation. Athena sometimes went down there and watched the busy scene through the glass wall.

Phone calls, keyboard tapping, and low–voiced discussions were constant.

The whiteboard was covered in names, timelines, and possibility analysis charts.

The professional search team used various databases and social networks to cross–reference data, trying to filter out that one tiny grain of gold in the vast crowd.

Seeing so many people working tirelessly for her child filled Athena with both gratitude and

pressure.

Every knock on the door, every phone ringing made her heart skip a beat.

Then, once again, Rowan walked into Zaden’s office with a serious look on his face.

“Mr. Storm, Ms. Hall, we checked two more towns, and still no match. We did find a nurse’s aide from the hospital back then, but she didn’t remember Ms. Rhett well. She only recalled that Ms. Rhett seemed to have moved out of town with her daughter after retiring, but she wasn’t sure where.”

Another dead end.

Athena felt a wave of dizziness. She held her forehead, her face pale.

Disappointment washed over her again and again, each wave colder than the last.

“Athena.” Zaden crouched in front of her and took her cold hands in his. “Look at me. We’ve just begun. I know this is hard, but it’s too early to give up. Trust me and trust Rowan’s team, alright?” he said firmly.

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Chapter 395 A Fading Trail

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