He'd rushed over on a whim, leaving behind a tense negotiation halfway through. Her delicate, harmless face—those soft, unassuming features—had been haunting the edges of his mind. This visit was meant to be the last look, nothing more.

What he saw instead was Raelynn in the act of attacking Georgia. So, this is what you’ve been hiding all this time.

Madam Hart seized the moment, fueling the fire. "Son, look at this—this is the ‘good woman’ your grandfather chose for you. The perfect Hart daughter-in-law. She’s ready to kill your sister, kill me, just because you brought up divorce!"

The situation had turned. Instinctively, Raelynn darted forward and grabbed Christian’s sleeve. Her eyes were red-rimmed, brimming with tears. With that pitiful air of hers, she pleaded, “Husband, you’ve come back—you’ve changed your mind, haven’t you? I knew it. I knew you couldn’t let me go, couldn’t go through with the divorce. Whatever you think you saw just now, it’s not true. We can’t divorce—we shouldn’t divorce…”

The tears came quickly, as did the sniffles, which she wiped unabashedly on his custom-tailored suit sleeve.

Christian recoiled, sidestepping her, his disgust palpable. His frosty gaze fixed on her with a weight that made her flinch, her resolve wavering under his frigid stare. Almost instinctively, her knees nearly gave out beneath her.

But she bit down on her lip and forced herself onward. Pressing harder, she let her voice falter with desperation. “Husband, I was wrong! I won’t make a scene. You can have other women—I promise to look the other way, even if there’s a child. I’ll raise it as my own, I swear. I just—just don’t take the title of Mrs. Hart away from me. That’s all I ask…”

“Raelynn!” Christian snapped, his voice a low growl as his endurance hit its limit. He took a step forward, forcing her to stumble back, her balance faltering.

Madam Hart motioned discreetly to Georgia, who caught on immediately and began to wail theatrically.

“Mom! Brother! My chest—it hurts, my heart!” She clutched at herself pitifully, her cries filled with melodrama.

“Son, take your sister to the hospital right away. This woman—leave her. Divorce her. Don’t waste another second on her!” Madam Hart interjected sharply.

Christian made to leave, but Raelynn clung to him again. “Husband—”

“Get out of my sight!” His sudden roar cut through her. The word divorce had clearly sent him into a new level of rage, making his disdain even more cruel.

Startled, Raelynn wrenched her hand back, biting her lip again. But this time, she didn’t dare to follow him. She stood rooted in place, hesitant for a few trembling moments, until at last, with seemingly great internal struggle, she hefted her suitcase and began exiting.

Each step seemed heavy, deliberate. She stopped to look over her shoulder countless times, her face a portrait of sorrow and resignation. Along the way, she sniffled audibly, her narrow shoulders shuddering as if weighed down by invisible burdens.

From the corner of their eyes, even the housemaids found themselves sneaking sympathetic glances her way.

It wasn’t until she’d rounded three bends in the driveway that the tension in her chest began to loosen. Exhaling deeply, she paused, drinking in the cool air. That was close—too close.

The rumble of a sports car brought her head around. A Ferrari pulled up alongside her, and the driver, Harvey Harrison, bounded out with exaggerated enthusiasm. Grinning from ear to ear, he opened the door, loaded her luggage, and ushered her into the passenger seat before gunning the engine and speeding off.

From the villa, Christian had just exited in time to catch sight of Raelynn slipping into Harvey’s car. His gaze followed them as the Ferrari roared out of the driveway and cut through the oncoming traffic. The flicker of emotions in his eyes was unreadable, dark and turbulent.

So, that’s how it is. Already lining up her next man.

Good. Fine.

Behind him, Cade Kirk, his ever-efficient assistant, grew uneasy as the temperature in the car seemed to drop a few unseen degrees. It didn’t take long for Cade to pick up the trail. They traced the Ferrari for several miles until Harvey turned abruptly into an unmarked side road, disappearing into the crowded city.

Cursing under his breath, Cade hastily braked. “Sir, apologies! They took a side route—I’ll pull up his records and—”

"Park the car." Christian’s tone left no room for argument.

Once they’d pulled to the shoulder, Cade retrieved his phone and followed a hunch, scrolling until he found what he was looking for. Holding the screen out, he said, “Harvey Harrison—formerly apprenticed under Yvonne Larson, that celebrated physician. He’s also now the head of Jones Pharma Group. This is his photo.”

Christian studied the image for a long moment, then nodded curtly. “Focus on finding Laura Larson. But until we can establish contact with her directly, Harvey’s the link we need. You’ll take charge of this personally.”

*****

Inside Harvey’s Ferrari, Raelynn’s cheeks were ruddy from the rush of cold wind blasting through the open window. She glanced at Harvey with a sideways glare.

“What?” he teased, flashing an impish grin. "Having second thoughts? Should I turn around and take you back to reconcile with him?”

“Shut up, will you?” she barked, smacking him on the arm. "And for crying out loud, quit showing off with your driving—you nearly got me caught back there!”

“Caught? You’re the one dragging this out! Do you have any idea how much heat I’ve been dodging for your sake, all because Christian’s goons won’t stop sniffing around? What’s the plan now? Back to the Jones Pharma headquarters?”

“Not yet." Her answer carried a hint of hesitation. "What’s there to be afraid of? If Aria couldn’t take me down three years ago, then Christian certainly doesn’t have the means to do it now.”

He tightened his grip on the wheel but said nothing. Memories of three years ago still rattled them both—when Harvey’s brief lapse in vigilance had left Raelynn exposed to Aria’s deadly poison. Her survival, almost miraculous, was owed not only to her unique constitution but also to her growing expertise in toxicology. By then she'd already been absorbed into the Hart family, buying time with her skills.

"When Sir Hart’s health stabilized," she murmured as if finishing a thought out loud, "leaving became an option again. But until then..."

Sighing, Harvey countered, “You’re sure that’s all there is to it? Listen, Christian isn’t Aria, but the Hart family isn’t some small-town power. Push them too far and—”

“I’m not scared of them.” She cut him off, her tone icy. "Grandpa Hart treated me more like a granddaughter than a stranger. If not for him, I wouldn’t bother with any of this nonsense. Now just drive me back to the hotel—I’ve got loose ends to tie up."

Harvey groaned but did as he was told. “Fine. If you say so.”

*****

From his own end, it didn’t take long for Christian’s team to track Harvey’s movements over the past three days and bring the data to him. But the further Christian read, the deeper his frown grew.

“Trash." The single word landed like a thunderclap, echoing with anger. "This is the caliber of work you present to me?”