—
They sat in a smaller room this time—not the grand hall, not the marble floors, but a quiet study lined with dark wood and books that looked like they’d never been opened.
Talia placed the folder on the table.
Her hands were steady.
But inside, she wasn’t.
“Everything I have is in there,” she said. “Birth certificate. Hospital records. The death report.”
Matthew didn’t sit right away.
He stared at the folder for a long second… then finally pulled out the chair and lowered himself across from her.
Ava made a soft sound.
His eyes flicked to her instinctively.
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