By the time they reached Havenport, it was already midday.


    The group headed straight to the hotel to check in. For convenience and safety -they''d all booked rooms on the same floor. ir''s room was right next to Briony''s.


    They kept lunch simple and ate at the hotel restaurant.


    Halfway through the meal, ir slipped away.


    "Where''s ir?" asked Lawyer Hughes, ncing around.


    "He''s eating in his room," Briony replied.


    Lawyer Hughes paused for a moment, then nodded as realization dawned. "Oh, right. He''s still got that injury on his face-probably easier for him to eat alone."


    Before they''d finished eating, ir reappeared. Maybe it was Briony''s scolding that morning, but he seemed a lot more efficient now.


    As they finished their meal, rain began to fall over Havenport.


    Manager Dawson, who was overseeing the project negotiations, arrived in a minivan to pick them up.


    Their destination was a local children''s home in Havenport, a ce that cared for kids with special needs-locally known as "Star''s children."


    Because of these children, the home had been named "Starlight Orphanage."


    Starlight Orphanage sat halfway up a mountain, about an hour''s drive from the hotel. Thetter part of the journey wound up narrow mountain roads, and with the raining down, their progress was slow.


    By the time they pulled up outside Starlight Orphanage, it was already four in the afternoon. Mist shrouded the mountainside, and the gray, rainy sky pressed low overhead. But the orphanage glowed with warm light, beaming through every window.


    Children''sughter and yful shouts echoed from all corners of the building.


    The director was a young man named Garfield White-gentle features, barely twenty-eight.


    On the way, Manager Dawson had filled Briony in on Garfield''s background. He''d inherited the role from his mother, who had founded the orphanage. After her passing, Garfield had stepped in to run things.


    Garfield had an older brother, Shane White, thirty-five, who had autism in fact, Starlight Orphanage had


    originally been created by


    mother, inspired by Shane''s needs.


    Garfield greeted Briony and her group warmly, then led them on a tour of the orphanage, introducing them to all the children.


    "Our caretakers here are all mothers of children with special needs," Garfield exined as they walked. "They volunteer their time to look after the kids."


    Later, they gathered around a table in the meeting room.


    Carey paused her typing and looked up at Garfield. "So, there aren''t any professional teachers here?"


    "There''s one," Garfield replied.


    Briony leaned forward. "Is she avable? I''d love to speak with her, get a better understanding of the children''s needs."


    "Of course," Garfield said, pulling out his phone. He dialed quickly. "Ms. Gill? Could youe by the meeting room? The investors have a few questions for you."


    Less than thirty seconds after the call ended, there was a knock at the door.


    A woman with kind, delicate features stepped inside.


    "This is our teacher, Ms. Noreen Gill,” Garfield announced, rising to make introductions. "Ms. Gill, this is Ms. Kensington, our lead investor. Next to her is her assistant, Carey and this is Lawyer Hughes, and="


    Garfield hesitated as he looked at ir.


    "ir. Ms. Kensington''s driver," ir supplied.


    Noreen greeted each of them politely, then took a seat.


    Briony turned to her. "How long have you been working here?"


    "Just over two years," Noreen answered.


    "And how do you find the children here?"


    Noreen answered honestly. "Guiding children with autism is always a challenge. We have more than twenty kid''s here, from as young as four or five to as old as thirty-five. Frankly, there''s only so much I can do on my own. I wish I could help them more, but I''m just one person."