CHAPTER 25

Ryan’s POV

Panic wasn’t an emotion I allowed myself often. It was messy, undignified—weak. But as I paced my office, phone clutched in my hand, the taste of it was sharp on my tongue.

Amanda had leverage. Real leverage. That nurse’s confession, if it saw daylight, wouldn’t just crush Selene’s little plan—it would shred my entire case.

And worse, Amanda was Blair’s doctor.

That connection alone was a loaded gun pointed at my head. If she started digging, if she pulled records, spoke to the wrong people…

I raked a hand through my hair, the pressure building behind my eyes. I’d underestimated her. Again.

The door burst open without a knock. Selene.

She strode in like she owned the place, heels clicking against the marble floor, her face a storm of fury and panic.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me she had the nurse on video?” she hissed, slamming the door shut.

I didn’t look up. “Because I only just found out.”

“Don’t you dare play this cool, Ryan,” she snapped, crossing the room to glare at me. “Do you have any idea what this means? If she turns that in, I’m done. You’re done. Everything—”

“Calm down,” I bit out, finally lifting my gaze to hers.

“Calm down?” Her laugh was sharp, ugly. “You’re about to lose your son and I’m about to lose everything I’ve worked for because you couldn’t keep Amanda on a leash—”

“Watch it.” My voice was low, dangerous.

But Selene wasn’t smart enough to stop.

“No,” she said, jabbing a manicured finger into my chest. “You watch it. You started this war, Ryan, and now it’s blowing up in both our faces. If you lose that kid, you think the press won’t rip you to shreds? You think the board won’t start asking questions about your ‘personal judgment’? They already whisper, Ryan. They already—”

“Shut up.”

The words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t regret them.

Selene’s eyes widened, and then they narrowed. “Excuse me?”

“I said shut up,” I repeated, stepping closer until her back brushed the edge of my desk. “I’m sick of your dramatics. You think this is about you? About your reputation? Newsflash, Selene—this isn’t your fight. It’s mine.”

Her mouth opened, closed. For the first time in a long time, she looked rattled.

“Ryan…” she began, softer now. “I’m just saying—”

“No,” I cut in, my tone like ice. “What you’re saying doesn’t matter. Not anymore.”

The hurt that flickered across her face was almost satisfying. Almost.

I turned away, grabbing my phone again, scanning through contacts.

Selene’s voice came from behind me, cold now. “You’re making a mistake.”

“Get out,” I said without looking at her.

She hesitated a beat, then her heels clicked angrily toward the door. It slammed behind her, rattling the glass of the picture frames.

I exhaled slowly, forcing the rage back down where it belonged. She wasn’t the problem. Not really.

Amanda was.

And if Amanda wanted to play dirty, fine. Two could play that game.

My mind moved fast, assembling pieces. Blair. Her medical history. If Amanda tried to use Blair as a character hit, I needed something airtight—something that made it look like Blair’s condition had nothing to do with my care.

The thought solidified into a plan before I could talk myself out of it.

Forge the report. Make it look like Blair’s illness was pre-existing, something no amount of parental attention could have prevented. Backdate it, seal it with the right hospital codes. Amanda could scream negligence all she wanted—it wouldn’t matter.

It wasn’t hard to figure out who to call. I had friends in places where money talked louder than ethics. I started dialing, my pulse steady now, focused.

This wasn’t about Levi anymore. Not fully. This was about Amanda. About making sure she never got the satisfaction of beating me.

I’d win this case if it killed me.

Halfway through my second call, my phone buzzed with a new message. Unknown number.

I frowned and opened it.

Stay away from Amanda. Or you’ll regret it.

For a moment, I just stared at the screen.

Another buzz. A second message.

Last warning.

A strange chill slid down my spine.

My gaze swept the office, the glass walls, the view beyond. For the first time all day, I felt exposed.

Who the hell was this?

Selene? No. She’d rather stab me in person.

Amanda? Not her style. She’d cut me with words, not empty threats.

So who?

And then the thought hit me like a punch.

Someone protecting her. Someone close.

Adam.

The name simmered like acid in my gut. I hadn’t thought about him in years, but now the pieces clicked too easily. The way Amanda kept holding her ground. The way she suddenly had confidence again.

Was he back?

The possibility twisted something sharp and ugly inside me.

I stared at the screen until my reflection blurred in the glass. Whoever sent this thought they could scare me off. Thought they could make me walk away from my son.

They didn’t know me.

I typed back, slow and deliberate.

You’ll regret threatening me.

Hit send.

Then I tossed the phone onto my desk, my jaw locked so tight it hurt.

Whoever this was, they’d just made the fight personal.

And I don’t lose personal fights.