The café buzzed with the sounds of clinking cups and quiet conversations, but for Isabella, the world outside faded into a blur as Charlie leaned in closer. His serious expression told her that whatever he had discovered was significant.
"What did you find?" Isabella asked, urgency lacing her voice.
Charlie hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting around the room as if ensuring they weren't being watched. "I dug into your mother's old case files and her contacts. There's a name that keeps coming up—Jonathan Marks. He was a private investigator hired by your mother before her death. Apparently, he had been looking into something big, something that involved your father's business dealings."
"Jonathan Marks," Isabella repeated, feeling a surge of recognition. She recalled a few late-night conversations between her parents where the name had been mentioned, always followed by hushed tones. "What did he find out?"
