Emma knew he couldn't remember, so she helped him settle into the recliner, deciding not to stress him out further.

"Just stay here. I'll be back in the afternoon. Here's some warm water, and the coal stove nearby will keep it from cooling down. Pour some into the cup and let it cool a bit before you drink." Emma placed everything within Dustin's easy reach, so he wouldn't have to move a muscle.

The village might have been humble, but the view from this spot was stunning-a landscape painted in shades of green, soothing on the eyes.

Once Dustin was settled, Emma picked up her basket and headed up the mountain again.

Dustin sat back in the recliner, hearing the harsh coughing coming from inside the house. He knew it was Emma's mother. He'd heard that her health had always been fragile, requiring her to drink loads of herbal remedies just to manage getting out of bed. Dustin was a patient himself, so the two hadn't met yet.

Leaning back, he squinted his eyes, intending to rest, but his thoughts drifted back to his search for his sister.

But who was she?

Just thinking about it sent a sharp pain through his head. His face went pale as he realized he had to take it easy and slowly calmed the emotions swirling inside him. Finding his sister seemed like an obsession, the most important task of his life. But for now, he needed to focus on getting better. At ten o'clock that evening...

Brielle sat on the couch for a while before making her way to the study. Dustin might have had a carefree demeanor, but his study was impeccably organized. The desk was cluttered with documents and a computer, while a chalkboard on the wall was marked with various countries and cities. The dense handwriting showed just how diligent the note-taker had been.

Her eyes scanned the room briefly before tears welled up. This was Dustin's map of his efforts to replace the lost princess, tracing the faintest leads across countless countries.

The trail had been elusive; the Lynch family had clung to the slimmest clues, scouring many nations across Europe, Asia, and even the most remote corners of the world.

The last entries focused on

Beaconsfield, a city circled on the map with a thick red outline. After all, with the child lost for over twenty years who knew what twists of fate She

she might have encoutent

could be anywhere by now,

Brielle's fingers hovered over the chalk marks, trembling slightly, not daring to touch. She returned to the desk, took a deep breath, and started searching through the documents. Dustin had been looking for his lost sister for years, and he certainly knew someone had been deliberately obstructing him. Had he compiled information about these grudges as well?

After a brief search, she found nothing. Just as she was about to stand up, she heard footsteps on the stairs heading towards the study

Her eyes widened, and Sealy

ducked behind a bookshelf,

crouching so no one could spot her.

"Have you found JD yet?"

Brielle quickly hid behind a shelf, crouching down so she couldn't be seen. A calm, rational woman's voice spoke up.

"Keep sending people. Even if we have to turn Beaconsfield upside down, we must replace him."

A shadowy figure nodded in the darkness. Brielle wondered why there was only the woman's voice and no responses until she heard the woman murmur again.

"JD's disappearance must be linked to his search for his sister. I've pushed him too hard these years, neglecting his feelings."

The figure in the dark gestured as if offering comfort. The woman chuckled softly, her eyes reddening as she gazed at the scribbles on the chalkboard.

"JD has tried so hard; I don't want to lose a son after losing a daughter. After all these years, I should accept reality. That child is probably long gone. It's my obsession that's made JD's life so hard."

Brielle huddled behind the cabinet, her body curled up, not daring to make a sound, even her breathing softened. Only the woman's voice was audible, but the footsteps suggested two people. The other must be mute.

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