The sterile fluorescent lights of St. Jude’s emergency department hummed with a low, agonizing frequency that mirrored the throbbing in my temples.

The afternoon sun cast long, amber shadows across the hardwood floors of the penthouse study. Marcus continued laying out documents across my desk, each piece of paper representing another nail in the legal coffin we were building around Evelyn Carter.

"If we file the fraud injunction in civil court first," Marcus explained, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, "it will force Evelyn to testify under oath regarding her financial assets before the criminal trial even begins. Once she's on the record lying about the property deeds, her credibility in front of a jury on the child endangerment charges is completely destroyed."

"And Taylor?" I asked, leaning against the edge of the bookshelf. "How does this affect Taylor?"

Marcus paused, his pen hovering over a yellow legal pad. "Julian, I have to be blunt with you. Taylor has aligned herself entirely with her mother. She’s officially filed a counter-petition for emergency sole custody, claiming you abducted Lily from the Lake Forest residence and that you are an unstable, aggressive parent."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Unstable? I'm the one who pulled our daughter out of a sub-zero freezer while her grandmother sat upstairs doing crossword puzzles."

"The family court system in Cook County is notoriously complex," Marcus warned. "If Taylor’s legal team can paint you as an absentee father consumed by his corporate empire, a biased judge might grant temporary custody to Taylor simply to maintain the status quo—which, by extension, puts Lily right back under the same roof as Evelyn."

"That will not happen," I said, my voice dropping into a register that brook no argument. "I will burn Blackwell Enterprises to the ground before I let Evelyn Carter within a mile of my daughter again."

Before Marcus could respond, my cell phone buzzed on the desk.

It was an unknown number with a local Chicago area code.

I stared at the screen for three seconds before swiping to answer and pressing it to my ear.

"Julian Harrison," I said coldly.

"Mr. Harrison," a smooth, unfamiliar male voice responded. "My name is Arthur Pendelton. I represent Mrs. Evelyn Carter."

My grip on the phone tightened until my knuckles turned white. "You have a lot of nerve calling this number."

"I’m calling to propose a mutually beneficial resolution," Pendelton said, entirely unphased by my tone. "Mrs. Carter recognizes that relations have become... strained. She is willing to sign a voluntary, permanent restraining order prohibiting her from visiting the Lake Forest property or contacting Miss Lily Harrison, effective immediately."

I frowned, exchanging a sharp glance with Marcus. "What’s the catch?"

"The catch," Pendelton continued smoothly, "is that you and Mrs. Harrison—Taylor—will issue a joint public statement withdrawing all allegations of criminal misconduct against Evelyn, and you will drop the emergency custody contest, allowing Taylor full primary residential custody with standard visitation rights for yourself."

Marcus shook his head violently, mouthing the word Trap across the desk.

"Let me make something crystal clear to you, Mr. Pendelton," I said, my voice shaking with restrained fury. "Your client tried to kill my daughter. She locked an eight-year-old child in a chest freezer. I am not going to issue a public apology, I am not going to drop the custody battle, and I am certainly not going to let Evelyn walk away scot-free so she can protect her precious reputation."

"Mr. Harrison, think carefully—"

"I am thinking very carefully," I interrupted. "Tell Evelyn to pack a bag. Because by tomorrow morning, my legal team is filing federal fraud charges alongside the criminal child endangerment indictment. This conversation is over."