Jane sucked in a sharp breath, her hand flying to her chest as she stumbled back a step.


    Reese didn''t even flinch at the tension crackling between Jane and Sebastian. It was like Jane''s scolding was aimed at someone else entirely. She''d been through enough with her mother-inw to know better than to let it get under her skin. If she''d cared this much before, she would''ve been crushed years ago.


    Still, a tiny part of her heart twinged with pain.


    Robbie lingered behind Jane, his nerves obvious. The moment he realized the baby was gone, he let out a small, secret sigh of relief. A hint of satisfaction shed across his face.


    No more baby brother. That meant he was the only child of the Ratcliff family now. All the attention-finally-would be his.


    But Sebastian caught that fleeting look.


    "Robbie, what''s so funny?" His voice was cool, almost sharp.


    Reese was his mother. Didn''t he care at all, seeing her so pale and frail in that hospital bed? Sebastian remembered how gentle and caring Robbie had been when Sofia was sick, and the memory stung in the worst way.


    Robbie jumped, dropping his head. "N-no, I wasn''tughing or anything."


    Sebastian''s stare was ice-cold. "Do you realize that if you hadn''t kicked your mom, the baby would still be here?"


    "Why did you do it? Tell me!"


    Robbie started shaking, his eyes filling with tears. "I didn''t mean to! I just didn''t want a little brother!"


    "If Mom had another baby, Dad would stop loving me. Even Great-Grandpa was getting a room ready for him, and giving him shares of thepany. I get nothing!"


    Sebastian mmed his hand down on the nightstand, making the ss rattle. His anger was barely contained. "Who taught you to say things like that?"


    Robbie had never seen his father so furious. He shrank back, voice barely above a whisper. "It-it was Aunt Sofia..."


    Reese froze. Wasn''t Sofia the real mother of the lost baby? How could she have plotted this?


    Sebastian''s expression darkened.


    Sofia? Did she really tell Robbie to hurt the baby? Was she honestly that reckless?


    "Nonsense." Sebastian''s tone was sharp, his eyes cold as he fixed them on Robbie. "She wouldn''t do that. There''s no reason."


    Jane finally seemed to catch on. She looked at Robbie, torn between anger and worry, but she still shielded him. "Sebastian, he''s just a kid. Don''t scare him like that."


    Sebastian shut his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, all the fight had drained out of him. "Brady, take him home. He''s grounded."


    Jane looked like she wanted to argue, but when she met Sebastian''s eyes, she bit her tongue and took Robbie out of the room with her.


    The hospital room was quiet again.


    Sebastian moved to Reese''s


    bedside, taking in her pale face, and for a second, he didn''t know what to say. After a long pause, he finally spoke softer this time. "Robbie''s been spoiled by Mom. He''s gotten out of hand, but we''ll get him back on track once you''re better. We can bring him to live with us and keep a closer eye.


    "And about Sofia... I really don''t think she did this."


    Reese''s lips twisted into a bitter smile. She didn''t say a word, just stared at him, her disbelief in as day.


    “Sebastian, is Sofia really that important? Even now, you''re willing to look the other way?"


    "I''m not," he insisted, hesitating. "There''s just no reason for her to do something like this.


    "I''ve already asked Brady to check the security cameras. If it turns out Sofia was involved, I''m not letting it slide. Didn''t you always want your mom''s ne? I''ll help you get it, okay?"


    Reese went quiet. She did want the ne-she''d wanted it for years. Even though Sebastian had


    promised not to fight her for it, even if she scraped together the money


    Zach was never going to eye


    over easily.


    With Sebastian''s help, maybe she finally stood a chance.


    So, why keep fighting about it now? She''d get the ne first, then decide what to do next.


    Thinking it through, Reese nodded. "Alright."


    Sebastian didn''t expect her to give in so easily. He watched her, concern flickering


    in his eyes, certain she was hiding something from him.


    He opened his mouth to say more, but his phone rang.


    Brady''s voice came through, tense and urgent. "Boss, I pulled the security footage from ckOak. I just sent it to your phone. You need to take a look."