Chapter 34: A Trail of Clues.

That was so faint, so inconspicuous, the first clue that Chloe almost missed it altogether: a smudge of dirt on the floor of Liam's study, just a few grains scattered in an arc toward the hearth. To anyone else, it would have been little more than detritus to be swept away without a second thought. But desperation had turned her instincts to a razor's edge, and Chloe noted the displaced earth at once. Her pulse was kicking up, and her mind started racing through possibilities. Had Liam left it there on purpose as a code for her to figure out, or was it some meaningless happenstance? She knelt down at the disturbance; her eyes opened now, looking closer. On first glance, the shape seemed random. But as she inched closer, a pattern emerged—the soil formed a deliberate shape, an arrowhead pointing toward the fireplace. The realization tingled up Chloe's spine like electricity. This wasn't an accident; this was Liam. Even with whatever duress he was under right at this very moment, he h