Outside, the rain poured loudly, masking the soft sobs emanating from inside the office.


    Nathan took a deep breath, coughed harshly, and quickly smoked an entire cigarette before tossing it into a ss ashtray.


    To avoid distractions from Sonny and Kyson, he had switched off his mobile phone and ced it in his pocket.


    He then retrieved another phone from his desk drawer and dialed a number he knew by heart.


    Less than two seconds after dialing, a gentle automated voice informed him the signal was weak and the other party was out of service area, urging him to try againter.


    Lucinda’s phone had never been off the whole day, and this reality unsettled him even more than if it had been turned off.


    No signs of struggle were evident in the car.


    Someone Lucinda knew must have been in her car.


    Without any sign of mechanical failure, Lucinda had driven off the slope.


    No blood was found in the valley; the rain had washed away all potential evidence.


    Nathan couldn’t bear to think about what horrors Lucinda might have faced in her car.


    His gaze was glued to the stack of surveince footage photos spread across his desk.


    Suddenly, he thought of something critical.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    He rose quickly, exited his office, and located a police officer to retrieve the mobile phone found in Lucinda’s car.


    The phone was shattered, its screen cracked into pieces.


    Despite the slim chances, Nathan was determined to explore every possible lead.


    He left the National Security Bureau and headed to a discreet underground workshop.


    There, he handed the fragmented phone, sealed in a transparent bag, to Gregory Olson, a trusted professional in restoration.


    “Can you restore this phone?”


    Gregory donned special gloves and carefully removed the phone’s pieces from the bag.


    After a thorough examination, Gregory shook his head.


    “I’m sorry, Mr.


    Payne, this phone is too damaged.


    Even reassembling the parts won’t easily restore its function.


    ”


    “I don’t need the casing restored, just the internal chips reassembled and a new disy fitted to ess the data inside.


    ”


    Gregory nodded.


    “That I can do.


    ”


    “How long will it take?”


    “Give me two days.


    ”


    Nathan’s expression was stern as he ced an unsigned check on Gregory’s desk, signaling the urgency and no-limit nature of the task.