27 "The moment my three babies entered the world, I thought I was living the happiest night of my life. Less than an hour later, my wife was fighting to stay alive, and the doctor told me childbirth wasn't killing her. Someone had poisoned her, and the person I trusted with nearly every detail of my life was standing right outside the ICU.

Two weeks later.

The morning sun shone brightly through the floor-to-ceiling windows of our grand estate in the hills outside Atlanta. The quiet house, which had once felt too large and empty, was now filled with the wonderful, chaotic life of three newborn babies.

In the nursery, painted in soft tones of sage green and cream, three cribs sat lined up along the wall.

Claire sat in a plush velvet rocking chair, looking vibrant, healthy, and radiant, cradling tiny Sophia in her arms while feeding her a bottle. Her strength had fully returned, her laughter once again filling the halls of our home.

I stood by the second crib, gently burping Luke over my shoulder while Ethan slept peacefully under a hand-knitted blue blanket.

"You know," Claire said softly, looking up at me with those deep, beautiful brown eyes that had captured my heart fourteen years ago. "For a billionaire CEO, you’re surprisingly good at changing diapers."

"I consider it my most critical executive duty," I laughed softly, setting Luke back down into his crib after he let out a tiny, adorable burp.

Claire set Sophia down and walked over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her head against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight, breathing in the sweet, simple scent of her shampoo.

"I was so scared, Mason," she whispered quietly into my shirt. "When I was in that hospital bed... I thought I’d never get to see them grow up."

"I know, my love," I murmured, kissing the top of her head. "But no one is ever going to hurt us again. We built a fortress around this family, and nothing is getting through."

A soft knock sounded at the nursery door.

It was my new executive assistant, Sarah—a quiet, brilliant young woman hired after three rigorous background checks conducted by a top-tier private intelligence firm.

"Mr. Sloane," Sarah said respectfully, holding a thin leather folder. "The Midwest Infrastructure Commission just released their final press statement."

I looked at Claire, then back at Sarah. "And?"

"Sloane Infrastructure has been unanimously awarded the twenty-two billion dollar Midwest Rail Expansion contract," Sarah smiled broadly. "The commission cited our firm's unrivaled ethical standards and financial stability."