You can''t spend your whole life watching for thieves.


    As soon as Reese parked outside the hospital, her phone started ringing. She nced at the unknown number, frowned, and picked up.


    "Who is this?"


    "It''s me."


    Bailey''s voice slid through the line, smooth as ever. "You actually pulled off the Ramos Corporation mess by yourself. I guess you really are my and Olivia''s daughter."


    The way Bailey dropped her mom''s name, like they were still some happy family, made Reese''s stomach turn.


    She was about to hang up, but Bailey kept going. "If you want your mother''s shares, you''ll need to give Sebastian another child. It''ll tighten the ties between the Ratcliffs and the Meyers."


    "Get pregnant, and I''ll transfer your mom''s shares to you right away. I''ll even throw in an extra five percent. You''d be the legal owner of Ramos Corporation and hold twenty percent of the Meyer family shares. Even the Ratcliffs would have to respect you then."


    Reese let out a coldugh. "You think you can buy my uterus withpany shares? Dream on, Bailey."


    She didn''t give him a chance to reply. She hung up and blocked the number without a second thought.


    After locking her car, she headed into the hospital.


    She didn''t expect to run into Sebastian. Jane sat there, eyes red from crying, while Robbie looked pale as a ghost. Reese lifted an eyebrow, a sh of sarcasm in her eyes.


    What a perfect little family portrait.


    "Reese, you''re finally here!" Jane''s eyes lit up, and she rushed over, reaching for Reese''s hand. "I knew you wouldn''t just leave Robbie like this-"


    Reese sidestepped, her gaze settling on Robbie. "What did the doctor say? Does he need to be moved to a better hospital?"


    Robbie shrank under her stare, mumbling, "No... I''m okay..."


    Jane quickly tugged on Sebastian''s arm.


    Sebastian cleared his throat and gave Reese that bossy look she knew too well. "We need to talk."


    They walked to the far end of the hallway. Sebastian leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, eyes locked on her.


    "You''ve


    doctor


    Robbie''s condition. The


    s it''s a gic disordene


    What made Dad''s health get


    worse so suddenly.


    "The best shot at saving him is for us to have another healthy child. We''d need the cord blood.


    "If you agree, I''ll fix the Ramos Corporation''s cash flow problem for you."


    Reese arched an eyebrow. What a coincidence.


    Why did everyone suddenly want her to have another child?


    "Did the doctor say that, or was it Jane''s idea?"


    Sebastian''s frown deepened at the way she said Jane''s name. "Mom said it. But


    I''m sure she talked to the doctor first."


    Reese''s eyes narrowed. She


    understood gics way better than Sebastian or Jane ever could. Millie had exined everything to her Even if both Sebastian and Robbie carried the gene it wasn''t something that would just re up from a nap or a cold.


    If it was that simple, Mr. Ratcliff would''ve been sick ages ago.


    This was probably another one of Jane''s tricks-using Robbie''s illness to pressure her into having another baby Or maybe there was something else going on...


    Reese remembered that little ck box Jane had slipped into her coat pocket. Suddenly, a name popped into her mind.


    Leslie.


    Maybe Leslie was behind this too.


    Did Leslie want Jane to get her transferred out of ckOak?


    Thinking back to the guy she''d caught who never gave Leslie up, Reese almost smiled.


    If that was their n, maybe she could use this to her advantage.


    She could y along, let Jane think she was winning, and step away from


    ckOak for a while-just to see what Leslie was really up to.


    But actually going through with having a kid? Not a chance.


    She''d need to talk this over with Matthew first.


    "Let me think about it," Reese said quietly.