CHAPTER NINETY SIX - Betrayal Cuts Deeper Than Any Sword

One evening, after tucking Sophia into bed, Ella found herself hunched over her laptop, digging deeper into Gregory's background. "El?" Lucas's voice startled her. "It's past midnight. What are you doing up?" Ella sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. "I've been researching Gregory. Lucas, I think we might have a problem." Lucas frowned, pulling up a chair beside her. "What do you mean?" "Look at this," Ella said, turning the screen towards him. "Three years ago, a small town in Oregon reported a similar situation. A charismatic art collector swooped in, promised to revolutionize their local art scene, and then disappeared with millions in investments." Lucas's brow furrowed as he scanned the article. "But that doesn't mean it was Gregory. There are plenty of art collectors out there." "I know, but look at this photo," Ella insisted, pulling up another tab. "It's grainy, but doesn't that look like him?" Lucas squinted at the image. "I... I'm not sure. It could be, I suppose. But El, G