New beginning: Billionaire love story

Chapter 504 The Mystery of Allan Smith Claire's brow furrowed as she stared at the empty search results. She had hacked into databases that were supposed to be impenetrable, infiltrated classified government records, and even accessed deep underground networks. Yet, no matter where she looked, Allan Smith was a ghost.

Even with her expertise as The Raven, even with the full power of Metacortex's systems at her disposal- there was nothing.

Matthew let out a low whistle from across the room, shaking his head. "I hate to say this, but this

is impossible. There's nothing on this guy."

Claire exhaled sharply, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "That doesn't make sense," she muttered. "No one is this invisible. If he was some government official, or a private citizen, there should

be something—a birth certificate, financial records, medical history, anything."

Matthew leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "You think someone erased him on purpose?" Claire drummed her fingers against the desk, deep in thought. "If they did... then the real question is why? Is his family important? Are they dangerous? And more importantly... who the hell has the power to wipe him off the face of the earth?"

The silence stretched between them, thick with tension.

Matthew sighed. "We might be wasting our time. If there's nothing, then maybe we should just let it go." Claire shot him a sharp look. "I don't let things go, Matthew."

He huffed out a short laugh. "Yeah, I know."

She turned back to the screen, her mind working in overdrive. This wasn't just a dead end. This was

a deliberate erasure. Someone had gone to extreme lengths to bury Allan Smith's existence. And if they were this thorough, that meant one thing-

There was something they didn't want her to find.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a brief moment before she made her decision. If she couldn't find anything in the usual places, she would have to take a risk.

Claire accessed a highly classified government archive, a place where only the most sensitive information was stored. This wasn't just hacking-this was dangerous. But at this point, she didn't care.

Seconds passed. Then minutes.

And then-

She found something.

Claire's breath hitched as a file appeared on her screen. It was old, buried deep within confidential records, as if someone had hidden it away and hoped no one would ever come looking.

Matthew noticed the shift in her expression. "Did you find something?"

Claire didn't answer immediately. Her fingers moved quickly as she clicked on the file, her heart pounding in anticipation. As the document loaded, her eyes scanned the first few lines.

Allan Smith. Age: 45. Deceased.

A chill ran down her spine.

Her grip on the mouse tightened as she scrolled further. A black-and-white photograph accompanied the

his mid-forties with sharp eyes and a composed expression. But it wasn't just Allan's

There was more.

his name was information about

Spouse: Alice Smith.

Son: Aaron Smith.

on the photograph. It was an old image-probably taken

and moved behind her.

didn't answer. Instead, she scrolled down. And

turned to

was another photograph. This time, it wasn't

Smith and Robert

cut through the tense silence.

barely registered him. She felt frozen, her mind struggling to process what she

Her father. Standing beside Allan Smith, looking as if they had known each other

He leaned closer, his eyes narrowing as he examined the

slightly, her

Not once. And yet, here they

slow breath. "Alright... this just got a lot more

finally found her voice. "Why didn't he ever

"No idea. But if he never told you,

"Or he

pieces were starting to form a

Allan died?" Matthew

turned to him. "Heart attack,

how it was connected to the car crash three years

changed everything.

Her heart pounded.

his voice lower now. "Claire... what if Robert was the one who asked Allan to crash the car into your family's

felt the blood drain

was suddenly

did something to upset Robert... and he killed

her like

man with connections, influence, and a history

fists. She wanted to believe it wasn't true. But deep

might be the biggest one

exhaled, rubbing his face. "Shit,

swallowed hard. "Then I need to

dangerous. If

to know," Claire interrupted,

studied her for a moment, then sighed. "Alright. But you're not going alone."

His tone left no room

"If Robert really is behind this, we don't know how far he's willing to go. If you're going

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