"Now that everything''s blown up, what do we have left to bargain with Reese?" Rosie asked, her worry clear in her voice.


    "Oh, we''ve still got cards to y," Tara replied, eyes narrowing with confidence. "Ramos Corporation is strapped for cash right now. You really think they can survive Ratcliff Globaling after them? We''ve built up a decent fortune. If Ramos Corporation''s finances copse, we could offer to bail them out on the condition that Reese drops the charges. Trust me, thatpany probably means more to her than anything else in the world."


    Rosie''s eyes lit up. "That''s perfect! If it works, your dad could finallye home. But how do we actually pull this off?"


    "I''ve got it covered," Tara said, sliding onto the couch next to her mom and giving her a reassuring hug. "Just leave it to me, Mom. We''ll have our family back together before you know it."


    By early afternoon, a new rumor was making waves through Bridger Lake''s upper crust. Word was out: Reese and Sebastian had secretly gotten married ages ago, but Sebastian was still hung up on his first love, Leslie, leaving Reese a total outsider in the Ratcliff family.


    Everyone in town knew how intense Sebastian and Leslie''s rtionship had been. Reese''s marriage to Sebastian wasn''t exactly public knowledge, but people had definitely heard whispers. So when the story broke that Reese had set Leslie up, dragging Jane and Sebastian into the mess, nobody thought twice. Most people figured, who could me her? What woman wouldn''t snap if her husband publicly humiliated her for someone else?


    Of course, the Ratcliff Global board caught wind of all of this. To them, it just


    confirmed what they already thought, that Reese was from a small-time background and had no sense of the bigger picture. Airing out jealousy and drama like this, and dragging thepany''s name through the mud? Totally uneptable.


    They decided right then to hit Ramos Corporation where it hurt. To them, going after Ramos Corporation was the same as taking revenge on Reese.


    Ratcliff Global turned all its power on Ramos Corporation. They snatched up key projects, teamed up with major partners to end their contracts, and even took losses themselves just to make sure Ramos Corporation had nowhere to turn.


    Thepany was already in trouble with its tight finances, but now it was a disaster. Orders dried up, warehouses filled with unsold


    goods and employees startedel


    handing in their resignations deft and right. The whole ce felt like it was falling apart.


    Rosie looked at Tara, pride shining in her eyes. "You always know what to do," she said warmly.


    Tara grinned. "Mom, text Reese. Ask her if Ramos Corporation can hang on. Tell her we''re willing to invest, but only if she drops thewsuit."


    Rosie nodded. "I''ll do it right now."


    Reese was in her office at Ramos Corporation, listening to Patrick''s bleak update about thepany''s situation when Rosie''s message came through. She nced at her phone, then tossed it on the desk and shut her eyes for a moment.


    It was true. Thepany''s cash flow was on the verge of copse. But even now,


    she wasn''t willing to let Dylon''s whole family get off easy.


    As she hesitated, someone knocked on her door.


    "Is something wrong?" she asked, surprised to see Karter walk in. Seeing him, brought a wave of guilt His boss had just spent a fortune. buying up shares to help her, and now all of that was at risk. Not only would they see no return, but they might lose everything they''d already put in.


    Karter nodded and handed her a folder. "This is my boss'' authorization for funding. Whatever Ramos Corporation needs, you can use these funds."