Hunter sat in his study, a stack of papers before him, each filled with details about Alyssa's life. He'd hired an investigator recommended by Ryan, a man who specialized in finding people who didn't want to be found. He scoured through the scattered notes, each written in a hand that was foreign to him.

"How much do you know about her past?" the investigator had asked him during their first meeting.

Hunter had paused, realizing with a pang of regret that he knew very little about Alyssa beyond her time spent at the palace. "Not much," he admitted, his voice laced with frustration. "She kept to herself most of the...