Reese took a deep breath andid it all out for Matthew-what happened at the hospital, what she suspected, and exactly what she nned to do.


    "I told Jane yes," she said. "I''m going along with her idea. For now, I''ll leave ckOak and see if that''s enough to get Leslie to slip up."


    Matthew''s expression darkened immediately. He didn''t even hesitate before shaking his head. "No way. Do you even realize how rough those IVF hormone shots are on your body?


    "There are other ways to catch Leslie stealing data. You don''t have to put yourself through that."


    He watched Reese, worry and frustration written all over his face. If he hadn''t been so careless before, maybe they would have caught Leslie already. Then Reese wouldn''t be stuck in this mess.


    "But this is the fastest way," Reese said, meeting his gaze, her voice firm. "Leslie''s hiding in the shadows and we''re out in the open. Dragging this out only helps her.


    "de''s about to go into mass production. If we don''t catch Leslie now, we''ll never have peace of mind."


    She paused, and a mischievous smile shed across her lips.


    "Besides, I''m not actually nning to go through with it.


    "I came back because I wanted to talk this over with you. Think you can help me set things up? I just need a trusted hospital and a doctor. All I need is a positive pregnancy report and a prenatal checkup slip—just enough to make everyone believe I''m really pregnant.


    "I''ll leave ckOak publicly for a while. Leslie won''t be able to resist making a move."


    On her way back, Reese had thought through every detail. A fake pregnancy would not only bring Leslie out of hiding, but also give her an excuse to get the shares her mother left in the Meyer family business back from Bailey.


    Those shares belonged to her mom, and there was no way she''d let Sofia and Grace get their hands on them.


    Matthew saw the stubborn look in her eyes and felt his resolve slip.


    He knew Reese-once she decided on something, there was no changing her mind.


    And she was right. This really was the quickest way to expose Leslie. After a moment, he nodded. "Alright. Leave the hospital and doctor to me. I''ll make sure everything''s taken care of and you won''t have to go through anything for real."


    It wasn''t totally by the book, but they weren''t hurting anyone just setting a trap for Leslie. It should be fine.


    "Thanks," Reese said with a smile.


    She picked up a pen and started jotting down notes "Now that the biggest hurdles out of the way the next thing is figuring out how to actually draw Leslie out..."


    Matthew moved closer, watching her work out the details, sunlight catching the


    ends of her hair and giving her a soft, golden glow.


    He found himself holding his breath, not wanting to disturb her. All he could do was smile, warmth in his eyes.


    "Oh, one more thing—"


    When their nning was done, Matthew suddenly remembered something n had mentioned that morning.


    "Vista Tech''s lead reached out to n again," he said. "They want to meet, talk about a partnership. de is basically ready. When do you want to set it up?"


    Reese thought for a second.


    "Anytime these next few days works. The sooner the better. Leslie''s-


    probably watching that deal too. We need to lock things down and get everyone under NDAS."


    "Got it. I''ll talk about it with n and let you know."


    Matthew noticed the shadows under her eyes and softened his tone. "There''s


    nothing urgent here. Go home and get some rest, okay?"


    "Alright."


    Reese nodded, grabbed her bag, and walked out.


    Once she was in the hallway, she took out her phone and called Bailey.


    "Reese?" Bailey sounded surprised, like he hadn''t expected her to call.


    "I''ve made up my mind," Reese said, leaning against the ss window, her voice steady and unreadable. "I agree to your proposal. I''ll have another child with Sebastian."