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“Is it time?” she asked.
“Soon. I got the word yesterday. We need to be prepared for the fall-out.”
Prepared? How could she prepare for the tsunami that would happen? She could only hold on for dear life and pray that it didn’t destroy them.
“Just let me know what you need me to do.”
Compassion glimmering in his eyes, Ash nodded. He knew exactly what she feared. She knew he feared it, too.
Hearing a noise coming from the front part of the house, Serena returned her focus to the here and now. If there was one thing she’d learned in her life, it was to celebrate the victories. Giving Liam what he wanted most in the world definitely counted as one.
He stomped through the door of Ash’s office, a scowl on his face. “This better be good, Ash. I was ten minutes away from getting on a plane to Canada.”
“I think you’ll be glad you stayed.” Giving her a nod, Ash said, “All yours.”
Serena watched Liam turn in surprise. He hadn’t seen her sitting on the sofa.
Taking a breath, she came forward and sat in a chair in front of Ash’s desk. “I need you to hear me out before you say anything. Okay?”
His brow furrowed in confusion, Liam dropped into the chair across from her. “You know I’ll always listen to you. What’s up?”
“There are a few things about Aubrey Starr I think you should know.”
Still looking puzzled, Liam shrugged. “Okay. Like what?”
She laid out the facts. “She’s thirty-one. When she was nineteen, she attended New York University, where she studied drama and acting. But she was only there for one semester. She didn’t go anywhere the next semester. Then, the next year, she enrolled in and eventually graduated from the University of Connecticut.”
“I don’t get where you’re going with this.”
“You promised to hear me out.”
“Okay…okay. Keep going.”
Serena continued, “When I asked her why she didn’t continue her education at NYU, she brushed it off and said it just didn’t work out. I could tell there was more, but I didn’t push. When Jazz and I went to her house, she had just come in from a swim. We both noticed multiple scars on her body that looked like the result of knife wounds.”
She had to give Liam credit. Even though his expression had turned to a dark frown, he continued to listen without interrupting.
“I came to Ash with my findings. He called Kate to see if she could give more insight. She said that Aubrey admitted to her that the reason her films focused on human trafficking was because several years ago, she was abducted. She said a ransom was paid to her captor before she was sold into human trafficking.”
He stared at her for several long seconds. Doubt, disbelief, and maybe a tinge of hope shimmered in his dark eyes.
“Liam, you know me. I don’t rely on conjecture or supposition. I check and recheck. I can’t say I am one hundred percent sure of this.”
“But you’re sure enough to tell me. That’s pretty damn sure.”
“Yes.”
He surged to his feet and headed to the door.
“Liam, wait. There’s more.”
He stopped but didn’t turn. “Say what you’ve got to say then.”
“Aubrey’s full name is Katarina Aubrey Starr.” She watched his shoulders slump and forced herself to add the last item on her list. One, that in her mind, was proof positive. “The name of her production company is Lion’s Legacy.”
She went silent, waiting for either his acceptance or denial. She didn’t expect his anger.
Whirling around, he glared at her accusingly. “Are you telling me that the woman I’ve been searching for going on thirteen years just happened to come into our lives without us knowing it?”