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The First Clue

last update Last Updated: 2025-03-11 23:53:51

The night air was crisp against my skin as I stepped out of the wheelchair, phone pressed to my ear. Lauren stood a few feet away, watching me with a mix of curiosity and concern. I should be wary of her but right now, all I could focus on was Leonardo’s voice.

“The encryption was cracked?” I repeated, keeping my tone even, though my pulse quickened.

“Yes,” Leonardo confirmed. “It wasn’t easy, but we found something.”

I gripped the phone tighter. “Explain.”

“There was a set of numbers hidden in the painting,” Leonardo said. “At first, we thought they were nothing, but they match old nautical coordinates.”

“Coordinates to where?” I asked.

“A location tied to a smuggling route from decades ago. It was used by the Italian family in the 1900’s. Probably back when your grandfather was still active. The route was super safe until when the government discovered it.”

A smuggling route. My jaw tightened. What could it mean?

“ Have you sent people to take a look at it?” I asked running my han
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