Chapter 167 - Quiet Revelations (1)

Albert flips open the file and immediately freezes. His breath stills, his hands firm on the edges of the folder. Photographs stare up at him, each image sharper than the last. The first shows Nadia, deep in the forest, crouched beside a small child with long, unruly hair. The child’s back is turned, but the posture...the familiarity...it’s disarming. In the next photo, the child leans against Nadia, nestled beneath her jacket, curled like a kitten seeking warmth. Another shows them seated on a mossy log, Nadia brushing the child's hair from her face as any mother might.