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.

Without waiting a single second, Sebastian sprinted to his car. I jumped into the passenger seat beside him, slamming the door.

"Call the police! Call 911!" I screamed as Sebastian floored the accelerator, the tires screeching against the wet pavement.

"I already alerted Marcus and the local precinct," Sebastian said, his eyes fixed on the road, weaving through heavy Chicago morning traffic like a man possessed. "Hannah, stay calm. I won't let her touch your business. I won't let her take anything else from you."

Fifteen minutes later, we pulled up to the West Loop warehouse.

Smoke was already rising from the rear loading dock. Panicked employees were running out of the main doors into the parking lot. Clara was outside, coughing, holding a wet towel to her face.

"Clara!" I yelled, running toward her. "Is everyone out?!"

"Hannah! No, two of the kitchen prep workers are trapped in the back refrigeration vault!" Clara gasped, pointing to the rear of the building where black smoke was pouring out. "Olivia... she poured gasoline near the main gas regulators!"

Before I could move, Sebastian shed his jacket, grabbed a heavy fire extinguisher from the loading dock, and ran straight into the burning building.

"Sebastian, NO!" I screamed, reaching for him, but Marcus held me back.

"Miss Vance, stay back! It's too dangerous!" Marcus ordered, holding me firmly as fire engines blared in the distance.

Inside the warehouse, flames licked the high ceiling. Heat radiated through the air like a furnace. Through the thick smoke, Sebastian kicked open the heavy emergency latch of the refrigeration vault, dragging out two terrified kitchen workers.

"Go! Get out through the front!" Sebastian shouted, shoving them toward the exit.

As the workers scrambled to safety, a shadowy figure emerged from behind the central cooking line. It was Olivia, holding a flare, her hair matted, her face smeared with soot, looking completely unhinged.

"You ruined my life, Sebastian!" she screamed over the roaring fire. "I gave you five years! I stayed by your side! And you throw me away for her?!"

"You didn't give me five years, Olivia! You stole them!" Sebastian yelled, stepping toward her through the smoke. "Drop the flare! The building is surrounded!"

"If I can't have you, she won't have her precious company!" Olivia shrieked, swinging the burning flare down toward an exposed gas line valve.

Sebastian leaped forward with terrifying speed, tackling Olivia to the ground just as the flare hit the concrete floor. The fire flared up, engulfing a stack of wooden pallets beside them.