Sebastian didn''t ask any more questions. He just walked quietly into the hospital


    room.


    Outside, Reese left the hospital and headed straight for her car. She''d barely started the engine when her phone lit up with a call from an unknown number.


    She hesitated. It could be work, so she answered.


    "Reese, it''s me. Do you remember me?"


    The voice on the other end was older, careful, and a little worn.


    Reese froze. Her body went stiff.


    She hadn''t heard from Bailey in over ten years. She thought she''d forgotten his


    voice, but the second he spoke, she knew exactly who it was.


    Her brow furrowed. She almost hung up on reflex. But Bailey kept talking. "I heard


    about the stuff with the Ratcliff family. Are you... are you okay?"


    "Do you want me to bring in a specialist from overseas for Mr. Ratcliff?"


    Reese raised an eyebrow. "No need. He''s already gone."


    Bailey went silent for a long moment. It took him a while to process her words, and when he finally spoke again, his voice was tight and anxious.


    "What did you say? Mr. Ratcliff... he''s gone? Is Sebastian making things hard for you? Is he going to send you to jail?"


    Reese let out a coldugh. "Rx. Even if I did go to jail, it wouldn''t affect you.


    "Besides, Grandpa made it clear-none of this was my fault."


    She could almost hear Bailey''s sigh of relief, but before he could say another word, Reese cut in. "I know you want to work with the Ratcliff family. Don''t call me again.


    "I''m divorcing Sebastian. Whatever happens with the Ratcliffs or the Meyers has nothing to do with me anymore."


    "You can''t just say that!"


    Bailey was so thrown by her bluntness that he started coughing, struggling to get his breath back.


    "This is a crucial time for the Meyer and Ratcliff families to work together. If you two get divorced and Sebastian pulls out, what then?"


    "How is that my problem?" Reese''s tone went sharp. She''d stopped caring about Bailey a long time ago, but his words still made her ufortable.


    "The Meyer and Ratcliff partnership is Sofia''s doing. It has nothing to do with me.


    "Whether I stay married to Sebastian is none of your business."


    "How can you say that?" Bailey''s voice was tight and angry. "Don''t forget yourst name is Meyer too! Your mom left you shares in the Meyer family. You have a


    responsibility to this family!


    "Would your mom have wanted this..."


    Reese didn''t let him finish. She hung up and tossed her phone aside, hands shaking.


    She slumped back in her seat and closed her eyes. She couldn''t stop her mother''s face from appearing in her mind.


    Bailey hadn''t even shown up at her mom''s funeral. In all these years, he''d never once visited her grave. Now he had the nerve to bring her up.


    Reese clenched her fists. She was going to find out the truth about her mother''s death. No one who''d hurt her mom was getting away with it.


    Meanwhile, Bailey mmed his phone down on the table, fuming.


    Reese hadn''t cut him out years ago, so he only found out she''d married Sebastian, recently. He wouldn''thave let Sofia get so close to Sebastian if he had known sooner.


    He''d hoped Sofia could be their link to the Ratcliffs, maybe even get them in with


    the military. But instead, Sebastian was sick of Sofia, and now Reese wanted a divorce.


    No. He had to talk to Reese in person.


    And then another thought hit him. Bailey grabbed his other phone and called Hank.


    "Hank, I just got word. Mr. Ratcliff is dead, and Reese is divorcing Sebastian. I''m flying to Bridger Lake tonight to talk to her.


    "But listen, we can''t put all our eggs in one basket. The military wants to partner up and share some of the de project''s civilian tech. Find a way to meet the project lead Sefit up as soon as you can.