The roaring fireplace in the Cascade Ridge Estate could not melt the ice forming inside Dr. Nathan Pierce’s chest. For seven years, he had worn his cold arrogance like a suit of armor, convinced that cutting Sarah out of his life was an act of tough love.

Back at the Cascade Ridge Estate, night had fallen, blanketing the mountains in absolute darkness. A thick mountain fog rolled in, swallowing the security perimeter lights in a milky haze. Inside, everything seemed peaceful. Rosa had put the twins to bed, and Lily was curled up on the living room rug, coloring in a new book Nathan had bought her in Seattle.

Nathan sat at his desk in the study, reviewing the blueprints of the house, looking for any hidden structural spaces Sarah might have utilized during her marriage to Marcus.

Suddenly, the estate’s exterior security monitors flickered.

The infrared heat signatures weren't coming from the front gate this time. They were moving directly across the steep, rocky cliff face behind the west wing—a sheer drop that every security consultant had deemed impossible to scale without professional alpine gear.

"Doctor!" Rosa’s voice echoed frantically over the internal intercom. "The security grid in the back corridor just went offline! I heard glass breaking near the basement storage!"

Nathan didn't hesitate. He pulled the Sig Sauer P226 from his desk drawer, clicked off the safety, and bolted out of the study.

"Rosa! Get Lily and the twins into the secure panic room immediately! Do not wait for me!"