Chapter 169 Talia

Chapter 169 Talia

"Confirmed."

Olivia nodded. "According to the records we pulled from the French archives, in 1997, Kenichi spent three months in Paris."

"During those three months, he not only visited Lorenzo, the former head of the Valois family, but also made multiple trips to the French National Institute of Biological Research for academic exchanges with this Etienne."

"And..."

A shadow of gravity flickered in Olivia's eyes. "Three months after Kenichi left France, Etienne died in a suspicious car accident."

"The police ruled it an accident at the time, but the file is full of red flags."

Leo set the tablet on the table, his fingers tapping lightly against the surface.

Another person silenced.

It seemed the secret operation involving Japan all those years ago was far more massive—and far more terrifying—than he'd imagined.

"Keep digging."

Leo raised his head, his dark eyes fixed on Olivia.

"Did this Etienne leave any family behind? A wife? Children?"

"Yes."

Olivia immediately pulled up another file. "He had a daughter named Talia Martineau. She was only ten when the accident happened."

"Now..."

Olivia paused. "She's thirty-five. Followed in her father's footsteps and became a biologist. She works at a private medical research institute in Paris."

A glint of interest flickered in Leo's eyes.

"Interesting."

He stood, pulling on his black coat. "Get the car ready."

"I'm paying Ms. Martineau a visit."

……

The 7th arrondissement of Paris—a private medical research institute.

It was an unremarkable modern building with cold gray-white exterior walls, surrounded by French plane trees.

The black Maybach rolled to a stop in front of the institute.

Leo pushed open the door, clad in his black coat, cigar between his lips, and strode toward the entrance with measured steps.

Olivia followed close behind.

"Boss."

Olivia lowered her voice. "According to our intel, Talia's at the institute today. Her office is on the third floor."

Leo nodded, exhaling a stream of smoke.

The two crossed through the lobby and took the elevator to the third floor.

The hallway was quiet, lined on both sides with labs and offices.

"That's the one."

Olivia pointed to a door at the end of the corridor.

A brass nameplate hung on it: [Talia Martineau—Cellular Biology Research Group]

Leo walked up to the door and knocked.

"Come in."

A woman's voice, tinged with a French accent, came from inside.

Leo pushed the door open.

The office was warmly decorated. The shelves were packed with biology textbooks, abstract paintings hung on the walls, and a potted plant sat on the desk.

A woman in a white lab coat sat at the desk, holding a document.

When she saw Leo enter, she looked up.

Hers was an ordinary face—plain features, black-framed glasses, brown hair pulled back in a simple ponytail.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

The woman set down her document and asked politely.

"Talia Martineau?"

Leo approached the desk.

"Yes."

Talia nodded, a trace of confusion in her eyes. "I'm sorry, you are...?"

The corner of Leo's mouth curved into a faint smile as his gaze swept over the woman before him without a trace.

From her expression to her tone, even that guarded wariness people who spend years in sterile labs develop around strangers—she had it all down perfectly.

But to Leo, someone who'd carved his way out of battlefields as the 'Reaper,' that very perfection was the biggest tell.

Interesting.

Leo sneered inwardly, though his face betrayed nothing.

"My name is Leo Ashford. I'd like to talk to you about your father."

At the word 'father,' Talia's body stiffened slightly.

But she quickly regained her composure, a sad expression settling on her face. "My father... passed away many years ago. Mr. Ashford, may I ask what you need from him?"

"I know."

Leo sat down in the chair across from her, stubbing out his cigar in the ashtray. "I want to know if your father had any contact with a Japanese man named Kenichi Yamamoto during his lifetime."

Talia froze, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes.

"Kenichi Yamamoto..."

She removed her glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

"How do you know that name?"

"I have my sources."

Leo's tone was calm. "Dr. Martineau, I'm not here to cause trouble. I just want to understand the truth about certain things."

"The truth..."

Talia gave a bitter smile, putting her glasses back on. "Mr. Ashford, I don't know what truth you're looking for. But my father's death—the police ruled it an accident."

"Do you believe it really was an accident?"

Leo's gaze was sharp, locked on Talia's eyes.

The two stared at each other for several seconds.

Talia slowly sighed and stood, walking to the window.

"I've always felt my father's death wasn't an accident."

She gazed out at the Parisian streetscape, her voice catching slightly. "But I had no proof. And I was so young then—I didn't have the ability to investigate."

"All these years have passed, and I thought I'd moved on..."

Talia turned around, her eyes slightly red as she looked at Leo. "I never expected anyone would come asking about this today."

Leo said nothing, simply watching her in silence.

In those deep, unfathomable eyes of his, no lie could hide.

And at this moment, a barely perceptible doubt flickered in Leo's gaze.

This woman's emotional display seemed natural enough.

Grief, anger, helplessness... each emotion perfectly calibrated.

But...

It was that very perfection that struck Leo as off.

As a special forces operative who'd clawed his way through countless bloodbaths, Leo had seen his share of master manipulators.

A ten-year-old child mourning a dead father shouldn't be able to perform grief this skillfully.

And this woman's sorrow, though it appeared genuine, felt somehow... rehearsed.

"Dr. Martineau."

Leo spoke slowly. "Did your father leave anything behind? Notes, diaries, research materials... anything that might be connected to Kenichi?"

Talia fell silent for a moment.

"Yes."

She took a deep breath and returned to her desk. "When I was sorting through his belongings after he died, I found a safe. Inside were some of his research notes, and... some documents I couldn't understand."

"All these years, I've kept that safe hidden at home. I've been afraid to open it."

"Because I was scared..."

Talia's voice trembled. "I was scared that once I opened it, it would bring the people who killed my father right to my door."

A glint flashed in Leo's eyes.

"Where are those things now?"

"At my house."

Talia hesitated. "Mr. Ashford, if you really want to see them... I can take you there."

"Good."

Leo stood. "Let's go now."

Half an hour later.

The Maybach left the Paris city center, speeding toward the outskirts.

Inside the car.

Talia sat in the passenger seat, nervously wringing her fingers.

Leo sat in the back, watching the scenery fly past the window, his expression unreadable.

"Dr. Martineau."

Leo suddenly spoke. "You live in the suburbs?"

"Yes."

Talia nodded. "I'm not fond of the noise downtown, so I bought a small house in the suburbs. It's quiet—good for research."

"Mm."

Leo said nothing more.

Twenty minutes later.

The car entered a quiet suburban residential area.