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

While Victoria was escorted away by the shaken lawyers, Harrison guided Clare into the hospital room.

The moment Clare saw her children—Tyler sleeping quietly and Arya jumping up with a gasp—she collapsed beside the bed, weeping tears of pure relief and wrapping both children in a desperate embrace. Harrison stood near the door, watching the family he never knew he had.

An hour later, after the kids had fallen asleep holding hands on the large hospital bed, Harrison and Clare sat on the small bench in the quiet corner of the room.

"How did she get my number, Clare?" Harrison asked gently. "My private line isn't listed anywhere in the world."

Clare looked down at her lap, her fingers twisting the hem of her damp jacket. "When I found out I was pregnant seven years ago, I promised myself I would never ask you for anything. You left me without a word, Harrison. You chose your corporate empire over me."

"I did it to protect you," Harrison admitted, his voice thick with old guilt. "My father threatened to destroy you, Clare. He would have ruined your life, your family... I thought if I married Victoria, you would be safe from him."

Clare looked up, shock registering in her blue eyes. "Arthur threatened me? He... he told me you laughed when he offered you the CEO position. He came to my apartment himself seven years ago and handed me a check for five million dollars to stay away from you."

Harrison’s jaw clenched so hard his teeth throbbed. "He did what?"

"I ripped the check in half and threw it in his face," Clare said proudly, her eyes shimmering. "I moved to Riverside Heights and raised my kids alone. But... I kept one thing. On the back of an old sketch you gave me at the charity gala, you had written your personal cellphone number. I saved it in a small emergency handbook by the front door. I told Arya that if anything terrible ever happened to us, and she couldn't reach 911, that number belonged to a man who was strong enough to save anyone."

Harrison felt a tear slip down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly, but the truth hit him with the force of a freight train. His father had lied to both of them to keep control of the company.

"And the trap in the woods?" Harrison asked, his analytical mind switching back on. "Riverside Forest is a public nature reserve. Hunting traps have been illegal there for over thirty years. Who set a bear trap on a paved footway?"

Clare’s face went pale. "I... I thought it was just an accident. A hunter..."

"No hunter sets a heavy industrial snare ten feet off a paved walking trail right outside a suburban neighborhood," Harrison said coldly. "Someone put that trap there intentionally."

Before Clare could digest the horrific thought, Harrison’s phone chimed with a high-priority text message from James, his trusted head of security.

Boss, we swept the forest area around the split oak. The trap wasn't old. It was brand new, oiled, and set within the last 12 hours. We also found a security camera mounted on a nearby pine tree. The camera was streaming live data to a private server registered to Blackwell Holdings.