bin air was cold enough to make him shiver. The last time he'd been in Chicago was three years ago, a quiet weekend getaway to un

and whispered a short

he previous year, he'd done so before a verdi

o breeze hit him instantly, sharp and unwelcoming. But it wasn't just the cold that cut through him,it wa

hought when a vo

e Alexander Cromwell?"

eyes were wide, her ph

he said with

your work since you won the Jenson Innovations case! You're like my

tly. "Thank you

r a quick selfie. She thanked him repeatedly before dashing

eath, "staying undercover here m

n elderly man holding a placard with his name. "Mr. C

t's

lid into the back seat, sinking into the leather as the city unfolded through the window

from

her caption underneath: 'Un

sank. The blo

Attorney Alexander Crom

. "I shouldn't have st

ed Eile

e minutes, and the internet

s a way of biting ba

nd her, do what you came to

id with a half-smil

window. The calm streets and towering skyline of Chicago glided by, quiet and vast compared to Manhatt

ed up again, they h

with the Chicago River glimmering beside it. The doorman gree

faint scent of cedar and citrus. Alex walked to the reception desk, phone s

id with a practiced smile. "We've prepared your suite overl

hank you," he repli

ade the hairs on his neck rise but when he looked around, the lobby was already too full

r-to-ceiling windows offered a stunning view of the skyline. He set his brie

r lasted long

a list of law firms, corporate branches, and professional directories where Lily might have r

even archived employee lists from Barton & Myers LLP. Nothing. He found one "L. Andrews" who matched Lily's initia

back, rubbing his temples, staring at the glowing skyline outside.

Jenson Case", "The Lawyer Who Took on Tech Giants and Won." Once, that kind of press had made him proud. Now it on

s the bridge below. Somewhere out there, Lily was building a new life quiet, hidden, fa

aking his thoughts.

answered, tryin

" the deep voice

longer night,"

e than you could chew," his father

r you're chasing don'

. "I'm tryi

've known you to be a go-getter all your life. That's how you got

ightened. "I

at you came for. And call your mother again bef

h escaped Al

ity lights shimmered like scattered stars. Somewhere out there was his next step his next clue. He d