"What did you just say?!"


    Jane''s voice cut through the air, sharp and shrill. She''d rushed over the second she heard something had happened to Mr. Ratcliff and caught Reese''s words from down the hallway. All her panic and helplessness morphed instantly into anger.


    She marched straight up, practically shoving Reese aside as she snapped, "Why were you in his room?"


    Reese reacted fast, pushing Jane away and raising her guard. "What are you trying to do?"


    "You don''t even know what happened, but you''re already throwing usations at me. Got any proof? Or are you just hoping I''ll sue you?"


    Jane faltered for a second, caught off guard by Reese''s confidence, but the memory of that share transfer agreement in Mr. Ratcliff''s hospital room shed in her mind. That piece of paper could change everything for her. No way was she backing down.


    "Reese, how could you? You found out Mr. Ratcliff left you shares of Ratcliff Global in his will, didn''t you? So you just waited for him to die so you could swoop in and grab what you wanted?"


    "Shares?"


    Sebastian turned to Jane, shock flickering in his eyes. He nced at Reese, his voice calm but cold enough to send a chill through the room. "Mom, are you saying Grandpa left Reese shares?"


    He didn''t even realize it, but he''d gone back to calling her Reese in that cold way he used to before all this mess.


    To Sebastian, it never made sense. Sure, Grandpa favored Reese, but he would never risk thepany''s future like that. Leaving her shares? He couldn''t believe it.


    Reese caught the look on his face and let out a little snort, her smile more bitter than amused.


    That was Sebastian for you. The second his own interests were threatened, he turned colder than anyone else. All the gentle words and pleas from the past few days vanished in a heartbeat. Only a fool would believe they were ever real.


    Everyone else looked shocked at the idea of Reese inheriting shares, but in the corner, Robbie''s eyes widened with realization.


    Great-grandpa left Mom shares of Ratcliff Global? If Mom and Dad stay married, inherit those shares one day. But if they split up, who knows where they''ll go His little fists clenched. He had to make sure Mom and Dad didn''t get divorced, no matter what.


    Reese leaned against the wall, watching Jane''s face twist with rage and


    Sebastian''s stare grow icier by the second.


    "I''m only going to say this once,"


    Reese said, steady and clear. "I


    never did anything to hurt Grandpa. I spent some time with him, but when


    the nurse came in, I felt and went downstairs to check on Annie.


    "After that, Annie wanted to know about Grandpa, so I thought I''de back up with her. I hadn''t even made it to the room before I ran into Robbie."


    She turned to Sebastian, her expression calm, her eyes steady. She wasn''t holding out hope for him to trust her anymore. She''d learned her lesson the hard way.


    "And then you showed up. I never had a moment alone with Grandpa. There wasn''t even a chance to do anything wrong.


    "And about the shares-I didn''t know anything about them. But since Grandpa left them to me, I''m not giving them up.


    "I don''t need to exin myself. The Ratcliff family owes me this."


    Jane looked like she was about to like


    lose it. Reese actually had the nerve to im the shares, to act like she deserved them? This was daylight robbery Jane just knew it. Reese would do anything for money, even this. She must have done something to Mr. Ratcliff, just to get her hands on their inheritance.


    "You said the nurse was there? Where is she now? Or did you pay her off to disappear?"


    Reese''s heart dropped. The nurse had been gone for over half an hour. Even if she''d just stepped out for a few minutes, she should''ve been back by now.


    Reese nced down the hallway. It waspletely empty. Not a single person in sight.