The test itself had been simple enough. A discreet visit from one of Jerry's associates, a quick swab, and a promise that results would be ready within a few days. Tyler hadn't expected the waiting to bother him nearly as much as it did.He went through his shifts as usual, ran the same drills, handled the same calls, but there was a persistent hum of unease sitting just beneath the surface that he couldn't quite shake off. It wasn't the idea of suddenly discovering wealth or family connections that unsettled him. If anything, that part barely registered as real to him at all.What actually kept creeping into his thoughts, late at night when the station was quiet and sleep refused to come easily, was Jerry's face. The hope in it. The years of searching clearly written into every careful word the man had spoken. Tyler couldn't stop thinking about what it would mean if the results came back negative, if he turned out to be nothing more than another dead end in a decades-long search, ano

Jerry returned two days later, this time with a modest folder of documents in hand and considerably less nervous energy than their previous conversation. “Oh, Jerry. You're quite early," Tyler let him in, gesturing for him to sit while he leaned against the counter, arms crossed, clearly still in information-gathering mode."Thanks,” Jerry nodded with his usual warm smile as he sat down."You said you'd tell me about my father," Tyler blurted, despite himself. He could no longer wait or waste time with small talk. "Start there."Jerry nodded, setting the folder down without opening it yet, seemingly needing a moment to gather his thoughts. "Charles was meant to take over a significant portion of the family's operations eventually. Groomed for leadership from a young age, much like most heirs in families like ours." He paused. "He was talented, sharp, well-liked by the board. Everyone assumed his path was set.""And?" Tyler prompted when Jerry didn't immediately continue."And then Am

The estate looked exactly like the kind of place Tyler had only ever seen in movies, sprawling gardens leading up to a house so large it could have doubled as a small hotel. He stood beside Fae near the entrance, adjusting his jacket for what felt like the tenth time in the last five minutes."Stop fidgeting," Fae murmured, looping her arm casually through his as they walked up the front steps. "You look fine. More than fine, actually.""Easy for you to say," Tyler muttered. "You grew up around this. I grew up in a fire station dorm.""Which is exactly why you'll stand out," she said. "In a good way, hopefully."The inside of the house was even more overwhelming than the exterior suggested, high ceilings, expensive art lining the hallways, and a steady murmur of conversation drifting from what he assumed was the main gathering room. Fae led him through with practiced ease, greeting distant relatives and family friends with polished smiles that didn't quite match the tension Tyler coul

Jerry didn't waste time reaching out once word of Tyler's appearance at the Grey family gathering made its way back to him, arranging to meet at a quiet café a few blocks from the fire station, far enough from prying eyes that neither of them had to worry about being overheard.Tyler arrived a few minutes late, sliding into the booth across from Jerry, who already looked visibly tense despite the calm setting around them."You wanted to talk," Tyler, again, skipped any form of pleasantries."I did," Jerry said, folding his hands together on the table. "I heard you attended a rather significant social gathering recently. The Grey family, if I'm not mistaken."‘He knows? Of course he knows,’ Tyler raised an eyebrow slightly. "News travels fast.""In circles like ours, unfortunately, it does," Jerry simply nodded. "Which is exactly why I wanted to speak with you as soon as possible.""Is there a problem?"Jerry hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Not a problem, exactly. More of a c

The first time Tyler noticed the car, he didn't think much of it. A dark sedan parked across the street from the station, windows tinted just enough to obscure whoever sat inside. Cars came and went around the block all day, nothing unusual about one more vehicle idling near the curb.The second time, three days later, he paid a bit more attention.Same make, same model, parked in almost the exact same spot, though he couldn't say for certain if it was the same car or simply a similar one. Still, something about the timing nagged at him as he walked past it on his way into the station that morning.By the third time, a week later, the coincidence had stopped feeling like one."You seeing this?" Tyler asked Danny, nodding toward the sedan as they stood near the entrance during a quiet stretch of the afternoon.Danny glanced over, squinting slightly. "The car? Yeah, been there a while. Probably just someone waiting on a ride.""Third time I've seen it this week," Tyler said. "Same spot