“Daddy,my brother is trapped”says a little girl in an emergency call,not knowing a CEO would answ

Harrison stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door to Room 314 behind him so Arya wouldn't hear.

"Watch your mouth, Victoria," Harrison said, his tone dropping to a deadly whisper that made even the high-priced attorneys take a step back. "You are speaking about my children."

Victoria gasped, a flicker of genuine shock crossing her features before her expression hardened into a bitter sneer. "Children? Have you lost your mind? You don't have children! Some scheming gold-digger got herself knocked up seven years ago and dragged these brats out of the woods to ruin our lives!"

"Her name is Clare Morgan," Harrison said, stepping closer until he towered over his wife. "And seven years ago, before my father forced me into our arrangement, she was the only real thing in my life."

Seven years prior, before Harrison was named CEO, he had taken a week away from his family's suffocating expectations to volunteer at a children's medical charity event in upstate New York. That was where he met Clare—a quiet, brilliant botanical artist with laughing storm-blue eyes and an empathy that melted his icy exterior. For three magical months, they had loved each other in secret, away from the prying eyes of the Manhattan elite.

Then, Arthur Blackwell found out.

Harrison remembered the night his father summoned him. Arthur had threatened to destroy Clare’s family, bankrupt her modest art studio, and ruin her life if Harrison didn't break things off immediately and marry Victoria Vance. To protect Clare from his father's terrifying reach, Harrison had walked away without giving her the real reason, breaking his own heart in the process. He had believed he was saving her. He had never known she was carrying his child—let alone twins.

"This is an absurd setup," Victoria declared, crossing her arms tightly. "Arthur warned me you had a soft spot for that peasant girl. If you think I’m going to let some bastard children wreck our family's fifty-billion-dollar valuation, you are sorely mistaken."

"They are not bastards," Harrison replied quietly. "And they are not street urchins. They are Blackwells."

Suddenly, the elevator doors at the end of the hall opened with a quiet chime. A woman burst out, panting heavily, her clothes soaked from the downpour outside. She had messy brown hair tied in a loose knot and deep, storm-blue eyes filled with pure terror.

"Arya! Tyler!" Clare cried out, running down the hall toward the pediatric wing, completely blind to the billionaire executive and his entourage standing outside.

"Clare," Harrison breathed, his voice cracking.

She froze instantly.

Clare stopped dead in her tracks five feet away from him. Her blue eyes widened as she looked at Harrison—the man who had shattered her heart seven years ago, standing right in front of her in a mud-stained suit.

"Harrison?" she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "What... what are you doing here?"

"Your daughter called my personal number, Clare," Harrison said softly, taking a step toward her. "She thought she was calling an emergency line... but she reached me."

Clare stared at him, overwhelmed by shock, before tears spilled over her lashes. "Tyler... is he—"

"He’s going to be fine," Harrison assured her quickly, reaching out to steady her trembling arms. "He’s sleeping inside. He’s safe."

Before Clare could respond, Victoria stepped forward, her voice cutting through the air like a blade. "So you're the little leech. How much did you pay to get Harrison's private line? How long have you been planning this extortion scheme?"

Clare pulled back from Harrison, her posture instantly stiffening as she glared at Victoria. "I don't know who you are, lady, but I don't want a single penny from Harrison Blackwell. I never have."

"Liar," Victoria snapped. "You orchestrated this entire tragedy in the woods to trap my husband!"

"My son almost died today!" Clare yelled back, her eyes flashing with fiercely protective rage. "Do you think I would put my three-year-old in a steel trap for money? Are you insane?"

"Enough!" Harrison barked, his voice echoing down the hospital corridor. He looked directly at his attorneys. "Get Victoria out of here. If she attempts to contact Clare or the children again tonight, I will personally strip her family's firm of every asset Blackwell Industries owns."