The city of Chicago felt like a hollow shell to Jessica Thorne. Every corner of her cramped apartment whispered the ghost of a name: Lola. Years ago, a series of cruel misfortunes—a lost job, a sudden illness, and a heartless system—had stripped her of her toddler. The day the social workers led Lola away, Jessica felt her soul fracture into a million irreparable pieces. She had fought, pleaded, and worked three jobs to prove her stability, but the trail had gone cold, buried under layers of sealed records and the immense power of an anonymous, wealthy adoption agency. Her life became a cycle of quiet grief and tireless searching.