The rain began to hammer relentlessly against the glass of our North Side apartment, mirroring the chaotic storm inside my chest. After tucking Ethan, Sophie, and Lucas into bed—each of them clinging to their stuffed animals with an unsettling, quiet fear—I sat down at my kitchen island.

By 6:00 AM, the morning sun broke through the Chicago fog, painting the sky in violent shades of orange and purple. I drove the triplets to my sister’s house in Evanston—a safe house no one in the Carter empire knew about—before heading directly to the commercial kitchen facilities of Little Harvest Kitchen in the West Loop.

As I pulled up, my heart sank into my stomach.

Three official government vans were parked outside. Men in suits with clipboards and badges were already walking through our loading docks, turning away our delivery trucks filled with fresh produce for local public schools.

Clara ran up to my car, her face pale. "Hannah! The State Department of Health and the Financial Audit Bureau arrived thirty minutes ago. They claim they received an anonymous tip about severe health code violations and embezzlement!"

Eleanor Carter didn't waste a single minute.

"Let them inspect," I said calmly, stepping out of the car and smoothing down my blazer. "We have pristine records. Every carrot is washed, every dollar is accounted for."

"Hannah Vance?" A man in a dark suit stepped forward, holding a legal folder. "I’m Agent Vance from the Illinois Regulatory Board. Effective immediately, your business operations are frozen pending a full forensic investigation."

Before I could answer, a sleek black Maybach pulled up behind the inspection vans. The rear door opened, and Sebastian Carter stepped out. He was dressed in a tailored charcoal suit, his face pale, dark circles beneath his eyes. He looked like a man who hadn't slept a single second.

Behind him stepped Olivia Bennett, looking immaculate in an ivory dress, holding a leather designer handbag.

"Hannah," Sebastian said, his voice raw as he walked past the agents straight toward me. "What is happening here? Why are regulatory agents at your company?"

"Ask your mother," I snapped, standing my ground. "Or better yet, ask your charming fiancée standing right behind you."

Sebastian whirled around to look at Olivia, confusion evident in his eyes. "Olivia? Did you know about this?"

"Sebastian, darling, don't be naive," Olivia said smoothly, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "Your mother was simply taking precautionary measures. Hannah has been operating this business illegally using money she... acquired during your divorce. She's using these children to extort Carter Global right before the board vote!"

"Extort?" I laughed bitterly, taking two steps toward Olivia. "I built this company with a fifty-thousand-dollar loan from my late grandmother. Every single penny was earned through sweat, tears, and eighty-hour work weeks while I raised three infants alone!"

"Hannah, please," Sebastian pleaded, reaching out to grasp my arm, but I yanked it away. "I didn't order this inspection! I spent all night looking for you. I went to your old apartment—"

"You had your dogs stake out my home!" I yelled, pointing to Marcus standing near the Maybach. "You want to know the truth, Sebastian? You want to know why I left five years ago?"

"Yes!" Sebastian shouted, his composure finally cracking, his voice echoing across the industrial parking lot. "Tell me! You vanished into thin air! My mother told me you didn't want the life, that you miscarried, that you took twenty million dollars from our joint account and disappeared!"

"Your mother lied. And your fiancée helped her," I said, pulling my phone from my pocket. "I didn't take a dime. And I didn't miscarry."

Olivia’s eyes widened with sudden, sheer panic. She lunged forward, grabbing Sebastian’s arm tighter. "Sebastian, don't listen to her! She’s mentally unstable! She’s trying to ruin the merger!"

"Shut up, Olivia," Sebastian growled, shoving her hand off his arm. His eyes remained locked on mine. "Show me, Hannah."