Evans’s face paled. "Great," he muttered, half to himself. "Ivy thought so too. Tom would really go that far?"

"You have no idea."

"Does Winn know this?"

"No," she said softly. "If he did, he’d already be at war with our father. Winn still believes our father is just... controlling. Ruthless, sure, but not capable of orchestrating something so dark."

Evans let out a shaky breath. "Tom Kane always thought the world bent for his will," he said. "But this?" His hands dragged down his face. "This is madness."

"We all thought she got cold feet," Sylvia said quietly, staring at the floor as if the tiles might hold the answers she’d been searching for. "But my father—he’s the only one who would want to hurt her. I...I just don’t have any evidence. I wish I did."

Evans leaned back in his chair. His hands tightened into fists on his desk. "Then we should tell Winn," he said after a long silence. "Because right now, Ivy feels betrayed. I tried to contact him, but he won’t pick up my calls or talk to me."

Sylvia looked up. "We cannot," she said, shaking her head. Her curls fell into her eyes, and she pushed them back impatiently. "Because the child Ivy carries now is the biggest threat to Tom—and to Sharona, Winn’s wife."

"How so?" he asked.

"Because a child is the key to unlocking the rest of Winn’s inheritance," she explained. "Sharona and Winn’s marriage—it’s temporary, a business arrangement. Should be over by the end of the month."

Evans frowned, running a hand over his jaw. The logic hit hard and cold. "So your father’s been manipulating the entire thing from the start."

"He’s always been the puppet master. And Winn, with all his brilliance, still dances to his tune without realizing it." She looked out the window.

"If my father finds out Ivy’s alive—and carrying the heir to the Orchard fortune—a fortune he so wants to get control of..."

"So, what’s your plan?" he asked.

"To protect the child first," she said. "And then we both do whatever it takes to get Winn and Ivy back together."

"How?"

"Give me the child," she said softly. "I’ll leave the country with the baby. While you work on protecting your niece by taking Tom down. As soon as you give me the child, I’ll give you the information you need to do that."

"You’re asking me to hand over my niece’s baby to you? To disappear with it?"

"Yes. Because it’s the only way to keep it safe."

"You’re serious."

"Dead serious."

Evans burst into a harsh, disbelieving laugh. "So let me get this straight," he said, wiping a hand across his face as if to erase the image from his mind.

"I kidnap my niece’s baby, hand him to you — you, Sylvia Kane — an alcoholic, and then what? What do I tell her when she inevitably rips my head off?"

"Listen to me, Evans," she said. "Until Tom is taken down, that child is in danger. Tom finds the weakest link and snaps it. If that baby stays where he can reach it —Ivy and that child won’t stand a chance."

"You think I don’t want to protect my family?" Evans shot back.

"You think I don’t want to shelter Ivy from every storm? I’m her uncle. I found her. I brought her back. Everything I’ve done since then, I did so she wouldn’t have to relive the worst days. I can protect her."

"If Winn finds out Ivy is carrying his heir and insists on being part of that child’s life, Tom will have knives in both of their backs. How long can you keep Ivy hidden? How long before he figures it out when she finally steps back out into the world? Tom will get close to the child through Winn."

"Then why don’t you tell Winn all of these?" he asked.

Sylvia closed her eyes. When she spoke her voice was smaller, the armor off.

"Because my hands aren’t clean, Evans. I was stupid. I was selfish. I did what Tom asked of me. Leaked information, introduced him to that witch. I thought I was doing the right thing for Winn and also for myself. Instead I sabotaged Winn and I sabotaged Ivy."

"You are the anonymous insider? The one who’s been feeding me information on House of Kane?" Evans asked, incredulity sharpening every syllable.

Sylvia shook her head. "Not exactly. I did it once." She folded her hands together to stop them from trembling. "But if you have had someone constantly feeding you information, then its probably Tom."

"Well, I’ll be damned," he said. "You Kanes are something else."

"I cannot let anything happen to that child. Evans, I need you to take me seriously. If you’re going to trust me with this, you’ll have access. You can check up on the child. Hire a bodyguard to travel with me. You can place a watch on the nanny."

"Then bring Winn and Ivy back together before my father has a chance to manufacture another catastrophe. Please."

"Let’s say," he began slowly, "I agree to this. I am not saying I will—" He stopped himself. "But let’s suppose I do. When are we going to tell them about the child?"

"When the vulture is locked up," Sylvia said, "then we can breathe. I know what he’s done. You, Evans, with your reach and your resources, you can find evidence. I’ll help wherever and whenever I can."

Evans listened. "You really think Tom hurt Ivy?" he asked.

"He denies it, of course," Sylvia said. "But yes. He’s ruthless in ways you don’t see. Ivy was expendable when she didn’t fit whatever narrative he needed."

Evans pursed his lips, eyes narrowing as he replayed the image of his niece’s pale face, the healing bruises, the way she flinched at loud noises. "I just found her and her mother," he said.

"Please, Evans," she said. "I couldn’t protect my brother. I made mistakes. I was part of the confusion that let Tom do what he did. But I swear to you, I will protect his child. I will be a bulldog for that baby."

(this Chapter is courtesy of MissDionne)