Something was terribly wrong the moment my twin daughters started screaming at three in the morning, and I stormed toward the nursery ready to fire the new nanny on the spot. Nothing could have prepared me for the sight that waited behind that door, because the woman I was certain had failed my family was doing the one thing I hadn't been able to do since my wife died.

“Inside. Now,” I grabbed Julian by the collar of his soaked jacket and hauled him toward the side entrance before the men at the gate could spot us.

We burst through the heavy oak doors just as Elise came running down the hallway from the east wing, a heavy iron fireplace poker clutched tightly in her hands like a medieval weapon. Her eyes locked on me, then on the trembling stranger dripping water onto the pristine floor.

“Dante? What’s happening? I heard shouting—” she started, lowering the poker slightly.

“Lock down the east wing,” I ordered sharply, holstering my Beretta as I secured the heavy deadbolts on the front door. “We have uninvited guests.”

Ten minutes later, the three of us were gathered in my private study. Julian sat wrapped in a thick wool blanket near the fireplace, sipping scotch with shaking hands, while Elise stood beside my desk, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she absorbed every word of Julian’s confession.

“So let me get this straight,” Elise said, her voice laced with sharp disbelief. “Victoria’s entire crusade isn't about the girls’ welfare? It’s a financial extortion scheme disguised as a custody battle?”

“Precisely,” Julian nodded, staring miserably into his glass. “My sister is a monster, Dante. She hasn't loved anyone since our father died—she only cares about the Vance name and her bank accounts. If you go into court tomorrow with just your standard legal defense, she’s going to crucify you using bought-and-paid-for witnesses.”

I walked over to the desk, resting my hands on the cold wood as a dark, calculated resolve settled over me. For weeks, I had played defense, reacting to every blow Victoria dealt.

It was time to change the rules of the game.

“She wants a war?” I murmured softly, a dangerous edge to my voice. “I’ll give her a war that will strip the Vance name of every shred of legitimacy it has left.”

I turned to Elise, meeting her gaze across the room. The fear that had briefly flickered in her eyes earlier was entirely gone, replaced by a fierce, supportive spark that matched my own fire.

“Dante,” she said quietly, taking a step toward me. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to use Julian’s testimony, combine it with the security footage of Victoria’s illegal trespassing, and hand federal prosecutors a complete RICO package on the Vance family real estate holdings before breakfast,” I said coldly. “By tomorrow afternoon, Victoria won't be worrying about my custody rights. She’ll be worrying about whether she needs bail money.”

Elise stared at me for a long moment, then a slow, proud smile broke across her face. “You really are a terrifying man when you’re motivated, Mr. Caruso.”

“Only when my family is threatened,” I replied, stepping closer to her until the distance between us vanished entirely.

Julian cleared his throat awkwardly, looking away from us and staring intently at the rug. “Uh... do you want me to sleep in the guest house, or should I just wait in the hallway while you two have a romantic movie moment?”