Sierra reclined in the Bentley's plush backseat, eyes closed as the hum of the city melted into the soft purr of the engine. Jace drove in practiced silence, respectful of her need for stillness. But even luxury couldn't quiet the storm inside her.
Her phone buzzed — Calloway.
Calloway: We need to talk. Found something in the shell company's chain. You're going to want to see this in person.
Her heart skipped. She replied quickly.
Sierra: Meet at my office in an hour.
At Hayes Properties, Sierra's heels clicked sharply down the hallway as she entered the executive suite. Mila was already there, sipping black coffee and scrolling through her tablet.
"You look like you're walking into battle," Mila said.
"I am," Sierra replied flatly. "Calloway's bringing something. Something big."
Before Mila could respond, Calloway stepped in, a manila envelope clutched tightly in his hand. He wore a grim expression that didn't suit his normally confident demeanor.
Sierra stood as he dropped the envelope on her desk. "Talk."
Calloway opened the folder and slid out two crisp printed sheets. "I dug into NovaTech's registration. You were right…they're connected to Cobalt Solutions. Isabelle used it to collect Liam's hush money. But the real owner?"
He pointed to a name at the bottom of the page.
Sierra's breath caught in her throat.
Naomi Lancaster.
Mila's jaw dropped. "Wait…Naomi? As in your ex-best friend Naomi?"
Sierra could hardly believe it. Naomi had been her roommate in college. Maid of honor at her wedding. She vanished from her life years ago after a mysterious falling out Sierra never quite understood. They'd never reconnected. Not once.
"She… she was at our wedding," Sierra whispered. "She gave us the down payment for our first investment."
Calloway nodded. "Exactly. And then she disappeared. Quietly, cleanly. Except, it wasn't clean. I pulled some offshore transfers. Naomi's name is tied to three shell companies…all with links to Isabelle's lawyer."
Sierra staggered back into her chair.
"She funded Isabelle?" Mila said, stunned.
"More than that," Calloway said. "She planned this. From the beginning. The Boston setup, the blackmail, even Isabelle's fake pregnancy…it all traces back to Naomi."
Sierra's throat went dry. Her hands clenched into fists.
"But why?" she whispered.
Calloway hesitated. "I think she wants everything you have. Or maybe… she thinks you took something from her."
Mila turned slowly. "You think Naomi wants Liam?"
"No," Sierra said quietly. "Naomi never wanted Liam. She wanted me to fail."
Sierra drove home in silence. She didn't wait for Jace this time. She needed space. Air. Solitude. But no amount of wind against her skin as she sped through the city could silence the ache in her chest.
Her mind churned with images. Naomi holding her veil on her wedding day. Naomi laughing with her over wine in their dorm. Naomi disappearing the moment Sierra and Liam started Hayes Properties. And now… this?
The betrayal ran deep.
Back home, she stormed past Liam without a word and headed straight for her study. He followed.
"Sierra? What's wrong?"
She turned, eyes blazing. "Tell me the truth, Liam. Do you remember Naomi Lancaster?"
He blinked. "Of course. Your old friend. The one who moved to London?"
"She never went to London," Sierra snapped. "She's been here. Pulling strings. Hiding behind shell companies. And helping Isabelle destroy us."
His face paled. "What?"
"She owns NovaTech. She's the reason Isabelle even had a strategy."
Liam sat down hard on the armrest of the couch. "I haven't seen Naomi in years."
"But you wired $25,000 to her shell company."
His lips parted. "I didn't know it was hers…Sierra, I swear."
She laughed bitterly. "You never know anything, Liam. Yet all your mistakes seem to benefit the people who want to hurt me."
He stood. "This is getting out of hand. We should talk to the lawyers…"
"I am the lawyer in this marriage," she said coldly. "And I know exactly what needs to be done."
He stepped closer. "Don't shut me out."
She looked at him … really looked at him… and for the first time in a long time, saw something she feared more than betrayal.
Weakness.
She turned away.
Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was Mila.
Mila: You need to see this. Isabelle just posted something on her private story. Check your backup account.
Sierra opened her secret burner Instagram and searched.
Her blood ran cold.
Isabelle had posted a blurred sonogram and tagged the location: St. Matthew's Private Clinic.
Caption: "Sometimes love creates miracles. No matter what anyone says, truth always wins."
Underneath, a comment from an account she didn't recognize:
"Naomi always knew what she was doing."
Sierra zoomed in. The image wasn't recent.
It was two years old.
But the comment was fresh.
She turned to Liam. "She's bluffing. The baby isn't yours. But Naomi? She's not bluffing. She wants blood."
Liam swallowed. "What are you going to do?"
Sierra closed the app, her face stone cold.
"Exactly what they don't expect."