Chapter 7 Chapter 7
"Just this once," he muttered, typing Iris's full name.
The search returned basic information: her current address at the university, her high school records, and her scholarship awards. Nothing unusual. Nothing to suggest she was anything other than what she appeared to be, a talented, hardworking design student from a modest background.
But when he searched for her birth certificate, he found something odd. It had been issued three weeks after she was found, with her birth date listed as January 24th, 2000, an estimation by doctors, not a certainty. Her birthplace was listed simply as "Unknown." Her biological parents: "Unknown."
Tony rubbed his eyes, fighting exhaustion. This proved nothing. Abandoned babies often had incomplete records. It certainly didn't prove she was Roxanne Lawson.
He was about to close his laptop when a new thought struck him. The iris pin Iris had mentioned, the one she'd been found with. What if it wasn't just a random piece of jewellery? What if it meant something?
Across campus, Iris was having her own restless night. The newspaper clipping and her conversation with Tony had stirred up questions she usually kept firmly buried. She rolled onto her side, pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders as rain pattered against her dorm window.
She'd never been particularly curious about her biological parents. The Maxwells were her real family, the people who had chosen her, raised her, and loved her unconditionally. What could she possibly gain from knowing who had left her at that fire station?
Yet something about Tony's reaction to her birthday had planted a seed of doubt. Was there more to her abandonment than she'd assumed? Had her birth parents been looking for her all these years?
"This is ridiculous," she whispered into the darkness. Even if they had been searching, what difference would it make now? She was an adult with her own life, her own plans. Finding her birth parents wouldn't change her designs or help her win the Lawson competition or launch her business.
The next morning, both Tony and Iris went through their routines with the mechanical efficiency of the sleep-deprived. Tony attended his business ethics class with unusual distraction, his notes scattered and incomplete. Iris nearly ruined a prototype pendant at her metalworking lab, her hands less steady than normal.
They crossed paths unexpectedly at the university library that afternoon. Iris bumped into Tony as her mind was everywhere.
"I'm sorry," they said in unison, both reaching to steady the other.
Iris looked up, surprise flickering across her face as she recognised Tony. "Oh. Hi."
"Hey," Tony replied, his hand lingering on her arm a moment longer than necessary. "You look like you got about as much sleep as I did."
"That obvious, huh?" Iris tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly self-conscious about the dark circles she hadn't bothered to conceal. "Just competition stress."
Tony nodded, though he knew it was more than that. The questions about her past had kept them both awake. "Listen, I'm sorry if I made things weird yesterday. With the birthday stuff."
"It's fine," Iris said automatically, shifting her portfolio case from one arm to the other. "I overreacted."
They stood in awkward silence, surrounded by students rushing between classes. Tony noticed the way Iris's fingers tightened around her portfolio strap, a nervous habit he'd observed before.
"Are those your final designs?" he asked, nodding toward the case.
"Yes. Just submitted them this morning." A hint of pride crept into her voice despite her exhaustion. "Now it's just waiting until the 24th."
Tony wanted to ask more about her designs to keep her talking, but the mention of the date twisted his stomach with guilt. He'd spent half the night investigating her past without her knowledge or consent.
"I'm sure they're amazing," he said instead.
Iris studied his face, noting the shadows under his eyes and the tension in his jaw. "Are you okay? You seem..."
"Fine," Tony cut in too quickly. "Just a lot on my mind. Business ethics paper due."
Iris didn't believe him, but she had her own secrets, her own reasons for wanting to end this conversation. "I should get going. I have a shift at the café in twenty minutes."
"Right, of course." Tony stepped aside to let her pass, then called after her, "Iris?"
She turned, one eyebrow raised in question.
"Would you want to get dinner sometime? Not a business meeting. Just... dinner."
The question hung between them, unexpected and unavoidable. Iris felt her heart rate quicken, her practical mind immediately cataloguing all the reasons why this was a bad idea. She barely knew him. She had no time for dating. Romance was a distraction from her goals.
Yet something made her say, "Maybe. After the competition results."
Tony's smile was genuine, lighting up his tired features. "I'll hold you to that."
As she walked away, Iris couldn't help wondering what she'd just agreed to. Dating wasn't part of her meticulous five-year plan. Neither was lying awake thinking about a boy with kind eyes and too many questions about her past.
Behind her, Tony watched her go, guilt and anticipation warring in his chest. He'd promised himself he would drop the Lawson connection for now, maybe once things settled down. He could help her once she was ready to find out the truth. But for now, he’d let it go and get to know the girl who seemed to make his heart race and taking her out to dinner would be a good start.
The next morning, Iris woke to a notification from the Metropolitan Design Challenge organisers. They wanted to feature her winning designs in their quarterly publication and requested a brief interview. She stared at the email, still groggy from sleep, letting the reality sink in; this was real recognition, a tangible step toward her goals.
Across town, Tony was already awake, nursing his second cup of coffee. He'd spent most of the night researching the Lawson case, falling down an internet rabbit hole of conspiracy theories and cold case analyses. The rational part of his brain knew he should stop, but something about Iris's story pulled at him, made him wonder if there were connections no one had made before.