542 They told me I could never have children, yet a soaking-wet little girl appeared at my front door holding a newborn wrapped inside a black trash bag and calmly announced he was my son. Minutes later, a hidden letter shattered everything I believed about my past, and before I could even catch my breath, I discovered the real enemy had been living much closer than I ever imagined.

Marcus and my security team engaged Victoria’s two mercenaries in a fierce, high-stakes firefight. Muzzle flashes illuminated the dark corridor as concrete dust rained down from the ceiling.

"Down!" I yelled, throwing my body over Jocelyn’s gurney as a stray bullet shattered the glass medical cabinets above us.

One of Victoria’s mercenaries collapsed into the hallway, disarmed and pinned by Marcus. The second mercenary dropped his shotgun, raising his hands in immediate surrender as two of my guards tackled him to the floor.

Victoria turned to sprint toward the rear fire exit of the basement, her revolver clutched in her shaking hand.

"Victoria! STOP!" I roared, pushing past my guards and sprinting down the rear hallway after her.

She burst through the heavy metal fire exit door, stumbling out into the pouring rain and slick mud of the steep ravine behind the clinic.

The ravine dropped forty feet into a raging, swollen river below.

Victoria reached the edge of the muddy cliff, her high heels slipping on the wet rocks. She spun around, breathing heavily, pointing her revolver at me with both hands.

"Stay back!" she screamed, rain drenching her hair. "Don't come near me, Spencer!"

"Put the gun down, Victoria!" I shouted, stopping ten feet away, holding my hands up open. "The police surround this entire forest! It's over! Don't throw your life away!"

"My life ended the day your father chose Florence over me!" Victoria wept hysterically. "I built the Warren name! I managed the accounts! I deserve everything!"

"You deserve justice," I said firmly. "For what you did to Florence, to Clara, to Jocelyn, and to my son!"

Victoria’s foot slipped on the crumbling edge of the muddy cliff. She gasped, losing her balance, her arms flailing wildly as rocks tumbled into the roaring river below.

She dropped the gun, her hands clawing desperately at the wet earth as she slipped over the edge.

"SPENCER!" she shrieked in absolute terror.

I didn't think about her cruelty. I didn't think about her betrayals.

I threw myself flat onto the muddy ground, reaching over the edge of the cliff with both hands, catching Victoria by her wrists just as her body slid into the void.

Her full weight yanked against my shoulders, pain shooting through my arms as I held her suspended over the dark, raging waters below.

"Hold on!" I screamed, my fingers digging into her leather sleeves. "Grab my arms!"

Victoria looked up at me, her eyes wide with shock. For the first time in my life, I saw no cruelty in her face—only raw, terrifying regret.

"You... you're saving me...?" she gasped, her tears mixing with the rain.

"I'm not a murderer, Victoria," I grunted, my muscles screaming from the strain. "Now pull yourself up!"

Marcus and two officers reached the cliff edge a second later, grabbing Victoria’s arms and hoisting her safely onto the solid ground.

Victoria collapsed onto the mud, gasping for air, her hands shaking uncontrollably as police officers immediately stepped forward and placed heavy steel handcuffs around her wrists.

Detective Vance walked over, looking down at Victoria before turning to me with a look of immense respect.

"It's over, Mr. Warren," Detective Vance said. "She won't ever touch your family again."