The air in Jason's office was thick with a tension that vibrated under the surface palpable, dangerous, waiting to explode. After the anonymous video of Lila and Martha's frantic phone call, everything felt more urgent. More personal. Jason and Bella weren't just unraveling corporate deceit anymore they were fighting an invisible enemy with their daughter caught in it.
Jason had moved swiftly, almost instinctively. His security team was conducting a complete forensic sweep of Reed International's communication systems. Every device, every digital trail was being examined for leaks. But that wasn't enough. He doubled Bella's protection, insisting she use a company car with a vetted, trained driver. Bella hated the idea she had built her life on being strong, independent but this was about Lila.
"I'll deal with it," Jason had said, his voice clipped, his eyes stormy with rage and fear. "But you need to be protected, Bella. You and Lila both."
She nodded, reluctantly. "For Lila."
Jason stood at the window, his arms crossed, his jaw tight. "This isn't just about the embezzlement. It's a coordinated attack. Veronica wants to frame you. My father—he's manipulating people and money in ways we're just beginning to understand. And now, someone's threatening your daughter."
He turned to face her, his gaze sharp. "What exactly did your mother say about George?"
Bella took a breath, then recounted every word from Martha's call—the panic, the desperation, the ominous warning to "leave New York" and "drop it for Lila's sake." When she finished, Jason was quiet for a long moment.
"She knows something," he said finally. "More than she's saying. My father doesn't leave loose ends. He buys them off, or buries them."
The suggestion chilled Bella. "Do you think… he paid her? Or threatened her?"
Jason didn't answer immediately, but his silence spoke volumes.
A knock at the door broke the moment. Ryan Cole stepped in, his expression grim.
"I just got the latest update," he said. "The IP from the video? It's from a burner routed through a proxy. Whoever's behind it knows how to hide their tracks. And the usage pattern… it's sophisticated. This isn't an amateur. It's a professional."
Jason's jaw clenched. "Timing?"
"Lines up exactly with when Bella started working here," Ryan confirmed.
Bella's stomach dropped. "So someone knew. Knew I'd be here. That Jason and I would reconnect."
Jason looked at her, something new burning behind his eyes. "And they knew about Lila. This isn't just about money anymore. This is revenge. This is personal."
Ryan gave a grim nod. "And it's far from over."
Later that afternoon, a new figure entered the chessboard.
Sterling Hayes walked into Reed International with the calm assurance of a man who knew exactly where every skeleton was buried and probably had the keys to the closets. Impeccably dressed in a charcoal suit, with silver-streaked hair and intelligent, cold eyes, he introduced himself as George Reed's long-time personal financial advisor.
Jason greeted him with a polite but curt smile. The meeting, on paper, was a simple portfolio check-in. But Jason had other intentions.
"I wanted to review some of my father's older trust structures," Jason said smoothly, easing into the topic. "Particularly a few… unusually large transfers from around five years ago. They're buried pretty deep."
Hayes' expression barely changed, but Bella saw it—the flicker. The smallest hesitation.
"Mr. Reed's finances are confidential," Hayes replied, tone measured. "As you're aware, George Reed maintains several private instruments. I'm afraid I can't discuss their details without his direct consent."
"Of course," Jason said, the edge in his voice razor-sharp. "But if those funds were used to harm others or frame innocent people, I'd think confidentiality would become irrelevant."
Hayes stood, brushing an invisible wrinkle from his suit jacket. "That's a matter of perspective, Mr. Reed."
He left moments later, but the damage was done. The silence he left behind was louder than words.
"He knows," Jason said flatly, watching the door close. "He's protecting my father."
Bella felt a tight knot in her chest. "Jason… what if we're too late? What if they've already set everything in motion?"
Jason turned to her, his voice low but firm. "Then we unravel it piece by piece. Whatever it takes."
But that night, everything changed again.
Bella's phone buzzed with another anonymous message. Her heart seized as she opened it.
It wasn't just another video. It was a photo. Lila, playing quietly in her daycare's sandbox. The image was recent maybe hours old. Bella's eyes darted to the background and froze. A street vendor. One she recognized. This wasn't a stock photo or stolen image. It was real. Taken by someone close. Someone watching.
Then came the message:
"Your daughter's laughter is a beautiful sound. Don't let it turn to tears."
Bella's breath caught. The world tilted.
She dropped the phone and gasped. Jason rushed to her side, reading the message. His face turned to stone.
"They're there," Bella whispered, trembling. "Watching her."
Jason didn't waste a second. "I'm sending a team. Right now."
The safety she'd built for Lila, the carefully guarded life in Boston was gone in a single text. The truth that had been creeping toward them was now in full sprint.
There were no more coincidences. No more blurred lines between business and blood.
The uncomfortable truth was clear: the past was not behind them. It was circling, tightening, and it had fangs.