Sebastian stared at the cked-out security feed, his fingers drumming restlessly on the desk. The tension in the room was so thick it felt like the air itself might


    snap.


    Robbie stood beside him, trying not to shiver. The pressure radiating off his father made it impossible to breathe easy. A few minutes ago, maybe Robbie hadn''t fully understood what was going on. Now, it all clicked into ce. That shadowy figure he''d seen outside Great-Grandpa''s hospital room was the one who cut the oxygen tube and tried to kill him.


    But it wasn''t his mom.


    "Robbie?" Sebastian asked, reaching over to take Robbie''s cold hand in his. He knew his son. Robbie was definitely hiding something. "Did you see something? Tell me the truth."


    Robbie froze, panic flickering in his eyes as he nced at Reese. Suddenly, an idea hit him. Over the past few weeks, he''d realized Dad still loved Mom, even though she was set on divorcing him. Now, everyone believed she hurt Grandpa, and she couldn''t clear her name. If the whole family thought Mom was guilty, wouldn''t Dad have a reason to keep her close? She''d have to stay, to make it up to the Ratcliffs, and Dad would never let her leave.


    And as long as Mom stayed, her shares stayed too. That meant Robbie''s ce in the family was safe. If Dad did end up divorcing her, after all this, Mom couldn''t just walk away with the shares or leave them to someone else. As long as the shares stayed in the family, so did Robbie''s future. No one could threaten his position.


    The thought took hold and wouldn''t let go.


    He stared at Reese, remembering all the times she''d been kind to him. For a second, guilt wavered in his eyes. But then Sebastian''s voice snapped back, sharper than before. "Robbie. Say something!"


    Reese was watching him too, her eyes searching his face.


    Robbie swallowed hard, lifted his head to meet Sebastian''s gaze, then nced quickly at Reese. In the end, the need to protect himself won out. He pressed his lips together, then spoke.


    "I... I was wandering outside the hospital room earlier, and... I saw..." He hesitated, voice small and shaky, "I saw Mom standing by Grandpa''s bed. I don''t know what she was doing..."


    He kept his head down, acting like he was scared, but his words echoed through the room, impossible to ignore.


    Reese stared at him, stunned. It felt like all the blood in her body had frozen. She couldn''t breathe. The pain was suffocating. After a long, heavy silence, she finally closed her eyes.


    This was her own son, the boy she''d carried for nine months, the one who was now stabbing her in the back.


    "What else do you have to say for yourself? Jane spat, anger boiling over as she listened to Robbie. She raised her hand, and swung at Reese''s face. "Robbie saw you! What more could you possibly lie about?


    "You knew Grandpa left you those shares. You just couldn''t wait to get your hands on the money, so you tried to kill him!


    "Everyone knows Ramos Corporation is in trouble. Once you get Ratcliff Global''s shares, you''ll have investors lined up, with our name backing you!"


    Reese dodged Jane''s p, catching her wrist mid-air and throwing her hand off. She stared Jane dead in the eyes, her voice icy.


    "Keep your nose out of Ramos Corporation''s business," she shot back. "Grandpa already arranged for someone to handle things. If we needed money, I could have asked him


    9over do something se


    crazy!"


    She turned to Sebastian, her voice steady but pleading. “I was downstairs with Annie the entire time. If you don''t believe me, ask her, or any of the staff in the room. They can all tell you the truth."


    Yes. Annie could prove her innocence. There was still a chance.


    Sebastian''s frown deepened, his eyes moving back and forth between Reese and Robbie, torn by doubt and worry.