ire''s brow furrowed as she stared at the empty search results. She had hacked into databases that were supposed to be imprable, infiltrated ssified government records, and even essed deep undergroundworks. Yet, no matter where she looked, An Smith was a ghost.


    Even with her expertise as The Raven, even with the full power of Metacortex''s systems at her disposal- there was nothing.


    Matthew let out a low whistle from across the room, shaking his head. "I hate to say this, but this


    is impossible. There''s nothing on this guy."


    ire exhaled sharply, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "That doesn''t make sense," she muttered. "No one is this invisible. If he was some government official, or a private citizen, there should


    be something—a birth certificate, financial records, medical history, anything."


    Matthew leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "You think someone erased him on purpose?" ire drummed her fingers against the desk, deep in thought. "If they did... then the real question is why? Is his family important? Are they dangerous? And more importantly... who the hell has the power to wipe him off the face of the earth?"


    The silence stretched between them, thick with tension.


    Matthew sighed. "We might be wasting our time. If there''s nothing, then maybe we should just let it go." ire shot him a sharp look. "I don''t let things go, Matthew."


    He huffed out a shortugh. "Yeah, I know."


    She turned back to the screen, her mind working in overdrive. This wasn''t just a dead end. This was


    a deliberate erasure. Someone had gone to extreme lengths to bury An Smith''s existence. And if they were this thorough, that meant one thing-


    There was something they didn''t want her to find.


    Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a brief moment before she made her decision. If she couldn''t find anything in the usual ces, she would have to take a risk.


    ire essed a highly ssified government archive, a ce where only the most sensitive information was stored. This wasn''t just hacking-this was dangerous. But at this point, she didn''t care.


    Seconds passed. Then minutes.


    And then-


    She found something.


    ire''s breath hitched as a file appeared on her screen. It was old, buried deep within confidential records, as if someone had hidden it away and hoped no one would evere looking.


    Matthew noticed the shift in her expression. "Did you find something?"


    ire didn''t answer immediately. Her fingers moved quickly as she clicked on the file, her heart pounding in anticipation. As the document loaded, her eyes scanned the first few lines.


    An Smith. Age: 45. Deceased.


    A chill ran down her spine.


    Her grip on the mouse tightened as she scrolled further. A ck-and-white photograph apanied the


    file a man in his mid-forties with sharp eyes and aposed expression. But it wasn''t just An''s picture that caught her attention.


    There was more.


    Underneath his name was information about his family.


    Spouse: Alice Smith.


    Son: Aaron Smith.


    Her pulse quickened. ire zoomed in on the photograph. It was an old image-probably taken years before An''s death.


    Matthew, noticing her stiff posture, stood up and moved behind her. "What is it?" he asked.


    ire didn''t answer. Instead, she scrolled down. And then-


    Her blood turned to ice.


    There, at the bottom of the file, was another photograph. This time, it wasn''t just An.


    It was An Smith and Robert Peterson.


    Matthew''s voice cut through the tense silence. "ire?"


    ire barely registered him. She felt frozen, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing.


    Robert. Her father. Standing beside An Smith, looking as if they had known each other for years.


    Matthew frowned. "Wait, what-" He leaned closer, his eyes narrowing as he examined the photo. "Hold on. They knew each other?"


    ire''s lips parted slightly, her mind racing.


    Robert had never mentioned an An Smith before. Not once. And yet, here they were-standing side by side, their expressions unreadable.


    Matthew let out a slow breath. "Alright... this just got a lot moreplicated."


    ire finally found her voice. "Why didn''t he ever mention him?"


    Matthew shook his head. "No idea. But if he never told you, then he must''ve had a reason."


    ire''s gaze darkened. "Or he was hiding something."


    The pieces were starting to form a pattern.


    "Do you remember how An died?" Matthew suddenly asked.


    ire turned to him. "Heart attack, right?"


    Matthew gave her a look. "And do you remember how it was connected to the car crash three years ago?" ire''s breath caught in her throat.


    Three years ago. The ident that changed everything. The crash that killed her mother.


    Her heart pounded.


    Matthew continued, his voice lower now. "ire... what if Robert was the one who asked An to crash the car into your family''s car?"


    ire felt the blood drain from her face.


    The room was suddenly too quiet.


    "What if," Matthew pressed on, his tone deadly serious, "An did something to upset Robert... and he killed him? Orchestrated his death?"


    The implications hit her like a freight train.


    Robert Peterson was a powerful man. A man with connections, influence, and a history of making people disappear when they became a problem.


    ire''s hands clenched into fists. She wanted to believe it wasn''t true. But deep down, she had always known that Robert had secrets.


    And this might be the biggest one yet.


    Matthew exhaled, rubbing his face. "Shit, ire. If this is true..."


    ire swallowed hard. "Then I need to see Robert."


    Matthew hesitated. "ire, this is dangerous. If Robert really was behind this—"


    "I have to know," ire interrupted, her voice firm.


    Matthew studied her for a moment, then sighed. "Alright. But you''re not going alone." ire gave him a sharp look. "Matthew-"


    "No." His tone left no room for


    argument. "If Robert really is behind this, we don''t know how far he''s willing to go. If you''re going to confront him, you need backup."


    en


    ire''s jaw tightened. She didn''t like the idea of dragging Matthew into this, but she also knew he wasn''t


    going to back down.


    After a long pause, she nodded. "Fine."


    Matthew smirked slightly. "That''s a first."


    She ignored him and stood up, grabbing her coat.


    As she headed toward the door, she nced back at the photograph onest time.


    An Smith and Robert Peterson.


    Whatever the truth was, she was going to find out.


    And if Robert had been responsible for that crash three years ago-


    Then he was going to pay.


    ire didn''t waste any time.


    ire''s mind was racing, reying the details over and over-An Smith, his death, and the car crash


    that had destroyed her family.


    If Robert was truly responsible...


    Her grip on the steering wheel tightened.


    When they arrived at Robert


    Peterson''s private estate, the security guards barely nced at


    them before allowing them in. ire


    had been here countless times


    before, but this time felt different.


    She was here for the truth.


    Matthew stayed silent as they walked up the marble steps. He wasn''t going to stop her-he knew better


    than that. He was only here to make sure she got out in one piece.


    ire didn''t bother knocking. She pushed open the heavy wooden doors and strode inside.


    Robert was in his study, sipping


    whiskey and reading over


    documents when she stormed in. He barely looked up, but the way he slowly set down his ss showed he had noticed the tension in the air.


    "ire," he greeted calmly. "I wasn''t expecting you." ire''s eyes were like steel. "We need to talk."