"She's safe. For now." Gilbert paused. "I've wanted to speak with you for a long time, Jackson. Man to man."Evans and Whitaker exchanged glances, their faces pale. James moved closer, listening."If you hurt her—""I won't," Gilbert interrupted. "Not yet. But that depends entirely on you."Jackson forced himself to breathe, to think. "What do you want?""I want to meet. You and me. Alone." Gilbert's voice hardened. "No tricks. No backup. Just the two of us.""And if I refuse?""Then Ruth dies." Gilbert's voice was flat, matter-of-fact. "I'll send you the address. You have one hour."The line went dead.Jackson lowered the phone, his hands shaking.Evans stepped forward. "Jackson, what did he say?"Jackson met his eyes. "He has my mother. He wants to meet. Alone."The room fell silent."You can't go alone," James said. "It's a trap.""I know." Jackson's voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed his fear. "But I don't have a choice."Whitaker pulled out his phone. "I'll track the call. M

The visiting room at the federal correctional facility was cold and gray, the walls bare concrete, the air thick with the smell of disinfectant. Jerry Hass sat behind a glass partition, his hands cuffed to a metal ring on the table. His face was pale, his eyes hollow, his once-strong frame now thin and fragile.On the other side of the glass, his wife, Sarah, and his daughter, Emily, sat waiting. Sarah's eyes were red from crying. Emily stared at her father with a mixture of confusion and betrayal.Jerry picked up the phone on his side. Sarah hesitated, then did the same."Jerry," she said, her voice cracking. "Why? Why did you lie to us? Why did you pretend to leave? Why were you working against the Harts?"Jerry closed his eyes, his jaw tight. "I didn't have a choice.""Everyone has a choice," Emily said, her voice sharp. "You chose to betray people who trusted you. People who were like family."Jerry shook his head slowly. "You don't understand. They threatened to kill you. Both o

The ambulance tore through the city streets, its sirens wailing, its lights painting the darkness in flashes of red and white. Inside, the paramedics worked with desperate urgency, their voices clipped and focused."BP is 70 over 40. She's losing pressure.""Push more fluids. Keep the respirator steady."Jacqueline lay on the stretcher, her face pale, her eyes closed. The mask over her mouth fogged with each forced breath. Ruth held her daughter's hand, her fingers trembling, her lips moving in silent prayer.Jackson sat across from them, his hands still stained with Jacqueline's blood. He couldn't look away from her face. Couldn't stop thinking about the gunshot, the way she'd crumpled to the ground, the way she'd smiled weakly and said "I'm sorry."You have nothing to be sorry for, he thought. You saved us.The paramedic checked Jacqueline's pulse. "She's stabilizing. But we need to get her to surgery now."The ambulance screeched to a halt at the hospital entrance. The doors burst

Jackson remained still unsure of how to react to the news. Of course, he had been happy that he was about to be a father but something didn't just feel right with Bella's newsBella could almost see through him. "Are you okay?"Jackson pulled back, cupping her face in his hands. "I'm terrified. But yes. I'm so happy." He kissed her then, softly, tenderly, pouring all his love and fear and hope into that single gesture.When they finally pulled apart, Bella pressed her forehead against his. "We need to tell the family. When Jacqueline wakes up."Jackson nodded, his mind still reeling from the revelation. "Together," he repeated, the word feeling heavier now than it ever had before.They stood in the quiet hallway, holding each other, the ultrasound image clutched in Jackson's hand. Two heartbeats. Two lives. Two children who would carry the Hart name into an uncertain future.But something gnawed at him. A whisper of unease that he couldn't shake.When Jacqueline finally woke, her ey

Gilbert burst through the door, his clothes torn, his face bruised, his eyes wild with fury. He threw himself into a chair, his hands gripping the arms so tightly his knuckles went white.Peniel stepped out of the shadows, his arms crossed, his face hard. "What happened?"Gilbert's jaw tightened. "What does it look like? I failed."Peniel's eyes narrowed. "You went after Ruth. Alone. That wasn't the plan."Gilbert slammed his fist on the arm of the chair. "The plan changed.""The plan didn't change," Peniel said, his voice rising. "You changed it. You went off on your own, and now the Harts know we're still out here. You've compromised everything."Gilbert stood, his face inches from Peniel's. "I don't answer to you.""You answer to all of us," Peniel shot back. "We're supposed to be in this together. But you're too obsessed with Ruth to see straight.""Watch your mouth.""Or what?" Peniel stepped closer. "You'll hit me? Go ahead. It won't change the fact that you're the reason we're