Ethan went pale—but his mother looked terrified and whispered, “Stop her before she finds out.” That was when I realized my triplets weren’t the only secret the Montgomery family had been hiding.

Three weeks after the catastrophic wedding on Lake Geneva, the front page of every major financial daily bore the same headline: THE FALL OF THE MONTGOMERY EMPIRE, AND THE RISE OF VANCE HOLDINGS.

The fallout was swift and absolute. Senator Hastings was indicted on multiple counts of securities fraud and political corruption, dragging Caroline’s family name into total ruin. With their financial backing obliterated, the Montgomery enterprise faced immediate liquidation. Creditors circled like vultures, picking apart the centuries-old estate brick by brick.

I sat in my corner office on the forty-fifth floor of the Vance Global tower in downtown Chicago, watching the sun paint the skyline in shades of gold and amber.

The door pushed open quietly. My executive assistant stepped in, holding a heavy manila envelope.

"Victoria, the final liquidation documents for the Lake Geneva property just cleared legal," she said quietly. "The buyer’s portfolio has been verified."

I raised an eyebrow. "Who bought it?"

She smiled faintly. "You did. Through a shell corporation. Vance Holdings now officially owns the Montgomery estate."

A slow smile spread across my face. Irony was a dish best served cold, and mine came with a multi-million-dollar price tag.

Just then, the connecting door to my private play-room flew open. Three pairs of identical running shoes squeaked against the polished hardwood floor.

"Mom! Mom! Look what we built!" Liam shouted, sprinting toward my desk with a towering Lego skyscraper in his hands.

Noah and Caleb followed closely behind, each carrying their own architectural masterpieces.

"Careful, boys, don't drop the top floor," I warned, kneeling down to help them stabilize the plastic structure.

Since the wedding, Ethan had tried everything. He had sent hundreds of letters, flowers, legal petitions, and tearful video messages begging for visitation rights. He had even shown up downstairs in our lobby, looking hollowed-out and desperate, willing to trade every cent he had left just for five minutes with his sons.

I never let him past security.

You don't get to ignore a family for five years, plan a public humiliation, and then expect a happily ever after just because the tables turned.

"Are we going to our new house this weekend?" Caleb asked, his big gray eyes looking up at me with absolute adoration.

"We are," I said, kissing his forehead. "A very big house with a massive yard. And you guys can build as many Lego towers as you want."

My phone buzzed on the desk. It was an unrecognized number. I ignored it, letting it go to voicemail. A second later, it buzzed again with a text notification.

Ethan: Please, Victoria. Just let me see them. I'm losing my mind.