Alina didn't sleep again. But this time, it wasn't confusion that kept her awake. It was clarity. For the first time in days… she had something real. L.V Two letters. Small. Incomplete. But enough to change everything. She sat at her table early that morning, the folded paper still in front of her. Staring at it like it might change if she looked long enough. It didn't. But her mind already had. "Lucien V…" she murmured softly. Her brows tightened. A surname. A structure. A direction. Finally. She opened her laptop quickly. This time, no emotional searching. No panic. Just focus. Professional focus. Like she was solving a case. And in a way… she was. She began with business registries. Company databases. Public filings. Anything that could contain initials like that. Hours passed. She barely noticed. Her eyes burned slightly, but she didn't stop. Because every failed search wasn't discouragement anymore. It was narrowing possibilities. At one point, she leaned back slightly. "This is ridiculous," she muttered. But she didn't close the laptop. She opened another tab instead. She refined her search. Not "Lucien". Not "L.V". Now: Executive initials L V Port Harcourt That was when something changed. A result appeared. Her breath slowed. She clicked. A corporate profile. Clean. Minimal. Restricted information. But enough. A name appeared in partial form: L. V Executive Director (Confidential Division) Alina froze. Her fingers hovered slightly above the mouse. Then slowly lowered. Reading it again. And again. "It's you…" she whispered. Not a question. A realization. But there was more. The company wasn't ordinary. It was layered. Private contracts. Restricted partnerships. Limited public exposure. The kind of structure that explained everything… without explaining anything at all. Her heart beat faster now. Not fear. Not doubt. Excitement. Because now everything made sense in fragments. The distance. The denial. The way no one "knew" him properly. He wasn't hidden accidentally. He was hidden intentionally. Alina sat back slowly. Her lips parted slightly. "So you really don't belong in my world…" she whispered. A pause. Then her expression changed. Firmer now. "I still found you." She grabbed her phone immediately. Took a screenshot. Saved everything. Not stopping there. She started mapping locations. Connections. Patterns. And for the first time… She wasn't chasing confusion. She was chasing structure. But just as she leaned forward again Her phone buzzed. Once. Unknown number. Her fingers paused. Slowly, she picked it up. Read the message. "Stop digging." Silence. Alina's breath stopped. Her eyes didn't blink. For a moment… she just stared. Then slowly, very slowly A small breath left her lips. Not fear. Not shock. Recognition. Because somewhere deep down… She already knew who it was from. She lowered the phone slightly. Her grip tightened. And for the first time She didn't feel like she was chasing him anymore. She felt like she was being noticed.
