Chapter 234

Verena dropped her gaze, her fingertips drumming a soft rhythm on the tabletop while her thoughts wandered.

Bits and pieces about Carl drifted through her mind,but nothing ever settled into focus.

He was just another face in the steady stream of hospital patients-no detail strong enough to anchor him in her memory.

An idea sparked.Her head snapped up as she turned to Gavin. "Do you think there's any chance we could get our hands on the old security footage from when Carl was a patient in Clokron?"

She remembered that the hospital kept cameras in every room. If she could review those recordings,maybe she'd spot something-a gesture or habit that would reveal more than a name ever could.

People could change their faces, but the little things always gave them away.

Gavin blinked in surprise but recovered quickly. "It's been a long time, so I can't promise anything. Still, I'll check the system. If there's anything left, I'll send it your way right away."

"Thanks, Gavin. I appreciate it," Verena replied,offering a grateful nod.

After she and Gavin went their separate ways, Verena made her way to the hospital.

She arranged for a quick meeting, and once it wrapped up, Gavin's call came through.

Verena answered with a warm greeting,"Hey, Gavin.How are things on your end?"

He sounded apologetic as he spoke slowly. "I just finished checking Carl's hospital records at Clokron hospital. Turns out, he was admitted about a year ago.The security footage there gets wiped after a year.Evelyn, I tried, but I can't get the video anymore."

Verena jumped in gently, her voice reassuring."Don't worry about it, Gavin. I know someone who's a pro at this kind of thing. For him, pulling up deleted footage is simple. You've already done a lot for me, so there's no need to feel bad. I just need to nail down when Carl was admitted."

That seemed to lift his mood, and he let out a small laugh. "You know, hearing you say that makes me feel a lot better. I won't keep you any longer, then."

When their call ended, Verena pulled up lvan's number and gave him a ring.

Ivan answered and greeted casually,not sounding the least bit surprised, "What's up,Verena?"

She got straight to the point. "Where are you right now?"

He seemed to be playing a game, as she could hear him mutter something under his breath before replying, "I'm at my place. Planning to drop by, or is this just a check-in?"

Ivan never could stand staying in hotels for long, so he'd found himself an apartment on the outskirts of Shoildon instead.

The place gave him more space and peace of mind,away from prying eyes and interruptions.

"I need to talk to you in person about something important," said Verena.

The next second, the sound of a game ending blared in the background, and Ivan tossed his mouse aside in mock frustration. "Honestly, Verena, could you at least try to act like you care about my feelings?"

Verena couldn't help but laugh. "Cut it out. This is serious. Just send me your address and I'll come over."

"Okay. I'll send it over right away," said Ivan without missing a beat.

The moment she ended the call, Verena saw Ivan's message pop up with the address.

Before heading out, she dialed the internal line and left Julianna with a few clear instructions. After that,she grabbed her bag and made her way to the elevator.

Soon enough, she drove her car out from the underground parking lot and merged onto the main road.

About thirty minutes later, Verena pulled up at lvan's apartment building.

Once she stood at the door and reached for the bell,it swung open in front of her.

Suddenly, Ivan shot forward like a whirlwind and wrapped her in a tight hug.

Overflowing with excitement, he exclaimed, "Verena!I haven't seen you in days. I missed you so much."

Verena was caught off guard and patted his head lightly. "Let go already, or you're going to squish me." After hearing her, Ivan let go at once.

Taking off her jacket, she hung it neatly and followed him inside.

Without missing a beat, lvan presented a box of cookies as if he had conjured them from thin air. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Verena, look what I got.These cookies are amazing. Seriously! You have to try one."

He picked out one of the prettiest cookies and offered it to her. After giving it a try, Verena nodded and said, "You're right. These are actually really good."

Seeing her reaction, Ivan's eyes lit up with pride."|told you! If I like something, I know you'll like it too.Take a few boxes with you when you leave."

She found herself laughing, watching him with amusement.

Plenty of girls had a weakness for desserts, but lvan was honestly the only guy she knew who loved sweets this much.

She gave him a gentle reminder. "I didn't come all this way just to eat cookies, Ivan. I need your help with something important."

Ivan grinned and nodded. "I know, but we can talk business while we snack. There's no reason to skip the cookies."

Leading the way,he guided Verena to his office.

Upon stepping inside, Verena felt as if she had wandered into a place filled with intrigue and advanced technology.

Instead of bright overhead lights, the room was shrouded in shadows, with only the blue glow from several monitors flickering across the space.

One wall was completely taken over by an enormous screen, displaying rows of complicated codes and strange symbols, making the entire place feel like it was hiding a hundred secrets.

A sleek black desk stood in the center, both simple and imposing in its design.

Arranged neatly across the surface were multiple powerful computers. Nearby, piles of technical books and documents were stacked, some open and crowded with colorful sticky notes and handwritten comments.

Taking it all in, Verena felt a rush of admiration and pride for him.

Ever since she had first met Ivan, she suspected he was destined to become a tech genius.

Most of the time, she only needed to ask him for information and never got a real look at where the magic happened.

Now, standing there, Verena realized just how much the once-shy, uncertain boy had changed.

Ivan had built a career that anyone would admire,and he had always been the one his friends turned to when problems needed solving.

Verena could not help herself. She reached over and ruffled his hair,letting out a soft laugh. "Look at you,Ivan.You really have grown up."

Despite the confident front he liked to put on, Ivan immediately looked away and pulled up his collar,trying to hide the color rising in his cheeks. He pretended to brush off her words. "I'm twenty now,Verena. Of course I'm not a kid anymore."

Verena had seen his shy side more times than she could count. She simply watched him, her smile deepening as she studied his face.

That made Ivan squirm even more, and after a moment he clicked his tongue. "Alright, alright. Didn't you come here for something else? Just say it. What do you need me to check?"

Verena dropped the teasing and answered bluntly." want to check the hospital's surveillance footage from when Carl was admitted to my hospital in Clokron last year. The system wiped the video automatically after twelve months."

Ivan nodded and almost started typing, but then paused and looked over his shoulder. "Hold on. Did you say Carl?"

Verena confirmed it right away. "That's right. I'm talking about Carl. Carl Aguilar."

For a second, Ivan's eyes grew wide with surprise."Wait a minute. So it really was him?"