chapter1216

Malcolm didn't say much. He just looked at Lydia, nodded, and said, "Let's go."

Half an hour later, outside the city hall, Reed came down the steps himself, smiling as he stretched out his hand to Malcolm. "Secretary Malcolm, you've come a long way. Thank you for making the trip."

"You're too polite, Mayor Brown," Malcolm said, shaking his hand.

After their handshake, Malcolm quietly shifted to the side, and that was when Reed noticed Lydia standing behind him. The respect in Malcolm's demeanor made it clear she was someone important. Reed felt a bit lost. He couldn't recall anyone from the Supervisory Department who matched her description. Honestly, he just assumed Lydia was Malcolm's young assistant.

"And this is..." Reed started, but before he could finish, his secretary Collin stepped up, his tone a little dismissive. "Mayor, why don't we take Secretary Malcolm inside? You've got a busy schedule today."

The message was obvious. Collin thought anyone else wasn't worth their time.

"Collin." Malcolm's voice cut through the air, suddenly cold. "This is Ms. Norwood, our department's Special Director."

Everything seemed to freeze for a moment. Collin's smile turned stiff as he stared at Lydia, who still wore her sunglasses. Reed's eyes narrowed. Everyone had heard of the Special Director in the Supervisory Department. She was a mystery. People rarely saw her, and no one ever knew where she might turn up. She was famous for showing up without warning, catching corrupt officials off guard. Rumor had it that Jackson, who'd only recently started his job, had already run into trouble because of her and was still under review.

But now, seeing her in person... Reed was shocked to realize that the legendary Special Director was such a young lady. He could hardly believe it. Still, with Malcolm introducing her, there was no room for doubt.

Lydia didn't act like she noticed the sudden tension in the air. She simply walked past Collin and stopped in front of Reed. "Mayor Brown, I'd like to talk to you alone."

Collin looked ready to , but Reed stopped him with a gesture He took a closer look at Lydia, his expression calm and respectful. For

someone so young to hold this or

position, she had to be the real deal.

"Of course." Reed stepped aside and led Lydia into the building. They took a private elevator straight to his office on the top floor. The view

from the floor-to-ceiling wind.net?

showed all of Maple Town's busy streets below.

As soon as the door closed, Malcolm set a file on the desk in front of Reed. "Mayor Brown, take a look at this first."

Reed glanced through the file. He couldn't help the shock that flickered in his eyes. A plan to search for clones? What was this about? Were there actually clones in Maple Town? He forced himself to keep reading, trying to process it all. It felt like everything he knew was

suddenly being turned upside down.

"Ms. Norwood, are you saying you've found clones in Maple Town?" Reed asked.

Lydia nodded. "Yes. And it's someone very close to you."

Reed's mind raced. He thought of his colleagues at city hall, trying to remember if anyone had acted strangely, but nothing came to mind.

"Ms. Norwood, just tell me. Who is it?" He was starting to panic.

Lydia didn't hesitate. "Based on what we know, it's your wife and your daughter."

Reed shot out of his chair, his voice echoing through the office. "That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Lydia lifted an eyebrow. "Why are you so sure, Mayor Brown? Think about it. Have they really not acted strange at all lately?"