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DISCOVERIES

NEW YORK - CHILD SERVICES OFFICE

Alyssa Dorado usually hated Mondays, but today she was getting one step closer to the Violet Reynolds case. She had been working on it for a few weeks now. And last Thursday she had finally gotten permission from her boss to start taking some exams with the girls she found that were connected to the last social worker Esther spoke with.

The parents, to her shock, were A-List celebrities, and their lawyers had specified that their clients, due to the sensitivity of the issue, should not be contacted unless a successful discovery is made. Alyssa had been informed of the new findings about Esther, but she knew she had to wait until sharing the next news.

She was perfectly aware today could bring nothing. The first girls on Thursday were all dead ends. Not one matched the lost child. And two of them had actually been named Violet, which is why they had been examined first.

The Violet Reynolds case had become her obsession, a puzzle that had haunted her thoughts day and night. She settled into her desk, determined to dive headfirst into the next set of exams with renewed determination.

The first girl arrived, a nervous teenager with an air of fragility about her. Alyssa watched as the lab technicians took her DNA samples. It was a painstaking process, one that Alyssa had witnessed many times before, yet it never lost its gravity. Lives hung in the balance, and each swab taken could hold the key to unlocking the truth. Hours passed, and Alyssa went through the same procedure with a couple more girls.

As the minutes progressed, Alyssa's anticipation grew as each girl arrived for testing. Finally, a young girl named Violet Thomas entered the room, accompanied by Marissa, an ex-colleague of Alyssa and Violet's social worker. Violet appeared visibly nervous, her hands trembling as she clutched a folder of documents.

Alyssa greeted Marissa with a warm smile. "Marissa, it's been a while. How have you been?" she asked, genuinely pleased to see her former colleague.

Marissa returned the smile, though there was a hint of tension in her expression. "Alyssa, it's good to see you too. I wish it were under better circumstances," she replied, her gaze shifting between Alyssa and Violet.

Alyssa nodded sympathetically, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I know, Marissa." She then turned her attention to Violet and extended her hand. "Hi there, Violet. My name is Alyssa. We're just going to do a few tests today to help with our investigation. It won't take long, I promise."

Violet hesitated for a moment before shaking Alyssa's hand. "Okay," she replied softly, her eyes darting nervously around the room.

As the examination was about to begin, Alyssa couldn't help but observe Violet more closely. There was something about her, a resemblance that tugged at the corner of her mind. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was there – a subtle similarity to someone she had seen before.

Alyssa continued with the standard procedures, maintaining her professional demeanor and keeping her thoughts to herself. She exchanged polite conversation with Marissa and Violet, careful not to let on that she had noticed anything out of the ordinary.

As Alyssa, Marissa, and Violet sat in the examination room, Alyssa decided to engage Violet in a conversation. She wanted to put her at ease and gather any information that might be relevant to the case.

"So, Violet," Alyssa began, her tone gentle and reassuring, "I know this can be a little overwhelming, but we're here to help. Is there anything you'd like to ask or talk about before we begin?"

Violet fidgeted with her hands, clearly nervous, but she managed a small nod. "I just want to know if this will take long," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.