Chapter 183

Ryan's POV The afternoon sun slanted through my office windows as Simon carefully laid out the investigation files on my desk. "Mr. Blackwood, here's what we've found about Lucian West," Simon reported, his voice pulling me back to the present. "He was placed in an orphanage fifteen years ago in June. However, due to the time that's elapsed, we haven't been able to confirm exactly how he ended up there." I leafed through the documents, scanning the sparse details of Lucian's early life. "These are the records from the orphanage," Simon continued. "Most of the staff from that period have retired. We're doing our best to track them down, but it may take a few days to get more concrete information." Something tugged at my memory as I stared at the date—fifteen years ago, June. Where had I heard that timeframe before? Then it hit me. Sophie had once questioned me about the northeast quadrant venture, which had fallen apart around that same time. "Get me all the files on The northeast quadr