Chapter 2 - HEADLIGHTS IN THE SNOWThe harsh glare of high-beam headlights swept across the rustic log walls of the Massachusetts cabin, cutting long, dancing shadows through the frost-rimmed windows.
Rebecca Adams froze, her color draining entirely. The exhausted warmth that had momentarily touched her face vanished, replaced by a cold, animal terror. She grabbed Chloe and Clare tighter, pulling them deep against her chest as if she could absorb them into her own body.
"They found us," Rebecca whispered, her breath hitching. "How did they find us?"
James Carter dropped the woolen blankets he had just pulled from the linen closet. His brow furrowed into a sharp line of concentrated focus. The quiet, contemplative billionaire was gone, instantly replaced by the corporate strategist who managed multi-billion-dollar acquisitions with surgical precision.
"Who found you, Rebecca?" James asked, his voice low, steady, and commanding.
"My... my ex-husband," Rebecca stammered, tears spilling over her eyelashes. "Marcus. He tracked my credit card before I threw it away. He said if I ever tried to leave with the girls again, he’d use his family's money to strip my parental rights and leave us on the streets with nothing."
A heavy knock echoed against the heavy oak front door. Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Rebecca! Open up! I know you're in there!" a harsh, grating male voice shouted from the freezing porch. "Don't make me kick this door down!"
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James looked down at the terrified twins, then at Rebecca, whose entire frame was trembling like a leaf in a hurricane.
Without a word, James walked past them, his footsteps firm and deliberate. He didn't run. He didn't panic. He reached the front door, unlatched the heavy brass deadbolt with a sharp click, and pulled the door wide open.
