The next evening.

A sleek, black, bulletproof SUV idled quietly on the street outside the luxury apartment building.

Alisson Ford pushed through the revolving glass doors and stepped onto the pavement. She wore the fiery red gown, the silk fabric flowing around her legs like liquid blood. Her twelve-centimeter red-soled stilettos clicked sharply against the concrete.

She opened the heavy rear door of the SUV and slid into the leather seat.

The driver, a highly trained operative from Hilary's security team, reached back and handed her a small, sleek silver USB drive.

Alisson closed her hand around the cold metal. Inside this drive were the unredacted financial logs of the Lucas Corporation. It held enough evidence of tax fraud and corporate bribery to send Iman Lucas to a federal penitentiary for the rest of his life.

The SUV merged into the heavy Manhattan traffic. Twenty minutes later, it pulled up to the brilliantly lit grand entrance of the Waldorf Hotel.

Alisson pulled a delicate, black lace half-mask over her eyes. She stepped out of the vehicle.

Her presence was magnetic. Heads turned. The paparazzi stationed outside snapped photos, captivated by her stunning figure and cold aura, but the mask effectively concealed her true identity.

She handed the anonymous VIP invitation to the head of security at the door. He scanned it, nodded respectfully, and let her pass through the first metal detector.

At the exact same moment, deep in the hotel's underground parking garage.

A large, canvas laundry cart rolled slowly toward the service elevator.

Inside the cart, buried under a pile of pristine white hotel towels, Jovany and Janna lay perfectly still. They were both dressed in miniature, tailored hotel staff uniforms.

Jovany looked at his wrist. He wore a tactical smartwatch. The screen displayed the raw code of the hotel's elevator control system, which he had hacked an hour ago.

He tapped a sequence of commands onto the small screen.

The service elevator bypassed the keycard security protocols and shot straight up to the top floor, heading directly for the grand ballroom.

The doors slid open with a soft ding.

The two children slipped out of the laundry cart like shadows. They darted into the catering prep room located just behind the main stage, successfully avoiding the patrolling security guards.

Inside the grand ballroom, the atmosphere was suffocatingly opulent.

A classical orchestra played a sweeping waltz. The room was filled with the elite power players of Aethelburg.

Bella Lucas stood near the center of the room. She wore a custom, hand-beaded white gown that cost over a million dollars. She clung tightly to Iman Lucas's arm, her face glowing with triumphant, arrogant joy as she accepted the fake congratulations of the guests.

A few yards away stood Jake Yates.

He held a crystal glass of whiskey. His face was a mask of absolute, terrifying indifference. He radiated such a freezing, oppressive aura that a ten-foot perimeter of empty space naturally formed around him. No one dared to approach.

Alisson stood in the shadows beneath a massive crystal chandelier, holding a flute of champagne. Her cold eyes locked onto the Lucas family.

Her gaze dropped to Bella's neck.

Resting against Bella's collarbone was a heavy emerald necklace. It was the only heirloom Alisson's biological mother had left her.

The temperature in Alisson's eyes dropped to absolute zero.

Inside the prep room, Janna peeked through the crack in the double doors. She spotted Jake standing in the crowd. She gasped, excitedly tugging on Jovany's sleeve and pointing at the tall, imposing man.

Jovany nodded. He tapped his earpiece, signaling Janna to get ready. He pulled a small cable from his pocket and physically connected his smartwatch to the ballroom's central audio-visual control panel mounted on the wall.

Suddenly, the prep room door creaked open.

A small boy in a tailored suit walked in, his head down, clearly trying to escape the noise and the crowds. It was Geovanni.

The three children, bearing an impossible, striking resemblance to one another, froze. They stared at each other in the cramped, dimly lit room.

Geovanni's eyes widened in shock. He looked at the boy who was his exact mirror image, and the girl who was smiling brightly at him. His usual panic did not trigger.

Janna did not hesitate. She walked right up to Geovanni and grabbed his hand. She pulled a piece of chocolate from her pocket and pressed it into his palm.

"We are here to find our daddy," Janna whispered, pointing through the crack in the door at Jake. "Will you help us?"

Geovanni could not speak, but he looked at Janna's earnest eyes. He slowly nodded his head. He pointed a small finger at Jake, confirming the target.

Jovany immediately adjusted his tactical plan. He would use Geovanni's presence to distract the guards, giving Janna a clear path to the target.

Out in the ballroom, the master of ceremonies stepped up to the microphone on the main stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the MC announced, his voice echoing through the speakers. "The engagement ceremony will now begin. Please welcome the future Mr. and Mrs. Yates to the stage."

Bella's heart soared. She lifted the heavy skirt of her gown, preparing to walk into the spotlight and claim her ultimate victory.

In the shadows, Alisson set her champagne glass down. Her fingers traced the edge of the silver USB drive in her clutch. She began to walk toward the AV control room to swap the presentation video.

At that exact second, the double doors of the prep room burst open.

Geovanni ran out, holding Janna's hand tightly. They sprinted directly into the center aisle of the ballroom before any of the security guards could react.

The sudden intrusion of the children drew the eyes of every single person in the room. The elegant chatter died instantly. A heavy, shocked silence fell over the ballroom.

Janna let go of Geovanni's hand.

Like a tiny pink cannonball, she sprinted straight toward the stage, heading directly for the cold, untouchable billionaire, Jake Yates.

Janna's pink dress flared out as she ran across the polished marble floor. She did not hesitate. She crashed right through Jake Yates's terrifying aura and wrapped her small arms tightly around his tailored trouser leg.

She tilted her delicate, flushed face upward.

"Daddy!" Janna yelled. Her voice was crisp, loud, and echoed perfectly through the dead-silent ballroom.

The word hit the room like a physical shockwave.

The silence deepened into something suffocating. You could hear a pin drop.

Jake Yates, a man whose face was famous for never showing a single trace of emotion, froze. Genuine, raw shock cracked his cold facade. He looked down at the tiny girl clinging to his leg.

A few feet away, the triumphant smile on Bella's face completely shattered. Her hand began to tremble so violently that the champagne in her glass sloshed over the rim, spilling onto her million-dollar dress.

The media reporters stationed at the back of the room snapped out of their shock.

Camera flashes erupted like a violent lightning storm. The rapid-fire clicking of camera shutters filled the air. This was the scandal of the decade.

Jake's chief assistant, Alex, lunged forward. He signaled the security team to block the cameras and reached down to pull Janna away from his boss.

Jake's hand shot out. He grabbed Alex's wrist, stopping him instantly.

Jake didn't know why, but looking down at this little girl, he felt absolutely no disgust. He did not want her pushed away.

Janna's eyes filled with large, dramatic tears.

"You are a bad daddy!" Janna cried out, her voice trembling with perfectly executed childish grief. "You abandoned Mommy and us! And now you are going to marry an ugly old witch!"

The entire ballroom gasped collectively. Hundreds of eyes slowly turned to look at Bella, the "ugly old witch."

Bella's face turned a sickly, ashen gray. Her carefully crafted high-society persona disintegrated.

"Security!" Bella shrieked, her voice cracking with hysterical panic. "Throw this feral brat out of here immediately! Get her out!"

Two massive security guards stepped forward, reaching for Janna.

"Touch her, and I guarantee you will disappear from New York by tomorrow morning."

The voice was young, but it carried a chilling, absolute authority.

Jovany stepped out from behind Geovanni. He had his hands shoved casually into the pockets of his miniature suit. His eyes swept over the guards with cold, lethal warning.

As Jovany stepped into the bright light of the chandeliers, the crowd let out an even louder gasp.

Sitting at the primary VIP table, Doretta Yates-Jake's mother-slammed her hands onto the table and stood up. Her bone-china teacup tipped over, shattering onto the floor.

Doretta stared at Jovany's face. Her heart hammered against her ribs. The boy's jawline, his brow, the arrogant tilt of his chin-he was an exact carbon copy of Jake when he was five years old. There was no denying the Yates bloodline.

Bella saw Jovany's face.

The world spun around her. A sickening wave of confusion and terror slammed into her chest. How is there another one? she thought frantically. Did I steal the wrong baby? Did she survive and have another child later? Her wide, trembling eyes darted from Jovany to the little girl in the pink dress. The exact same nose, the exact same jawline. The terrifying, undeniable family resemblance clicked into place. The memory of the roaring flames in the Queens basement exploded in her brain. She realized the horrifying truth. Alisson had not given birth to just one child that night. She had given birth to three.

Pure, blinding terror erased Bella's sanity. She lunged off the stage, her hands reaching out like claws toward Jovany's throat.

"You are liars!" Bella screamed wildly.

Jake moved faster than lightning. His massive frame stepped in front of Jovany, shielding the boy completely. Jake's hand shot out and clamped around Bella's wrist. He squeezed.

Bella let out a whimper of pain. The bones in her wrist ground together under his crushing grip.

"Watch yourself," Jake warned, his voice a low, lethal growl. He threw her arm back. He turned his head and looked down at Jovany, his dark eyes swirling with intense, dangerous curiosity.

Standing in the shadows, Alisson saw Jake grab Bella. She knew the situation had spiraled completely out of control. If she stayed hidden, her children would be swallowed alive by these predators.

She reached up and ripped the black lace mask off her face. She tossed it onto a nearby dining table.

She stepped out of the darkness.

Her red stilettos clicked sharply against the marble. She walked with the slow, predatory grace of a queen stepping onto a battlefield. Her stunning, flawless face was a mask of pure ice.

The chaotic ballroom fell silent once again as the crowd parted to let her through.

Bella looked up. When she saw Alisson's face, all the blood drained from her body. She let out a choked, horrifying scream, her legs giving out completely. She collapsed onto the floor in a heap of white silk.

Iman Lucas and Delphie Lucas stood frozen in terror, their mouths hanging open. The daughter they had sacrificed and left to burn to death five years ago had returned from hell.

Alisson ignored the Lucas family entirely. She walked straight to the front of the stage.

She reached down and scooped Janna up into her arms, pressing the girl's face into her neck. She grabbed Jovany's hand, pulling him close to her side.

Jake stared at the woman in the red dress. His pupils contracted violently.

He recognized her immediately. It was the woman from the airport. The woman who had calmed Geovanni.

But it was more than that. A sudden, violent jolt of electricity shot through his nervous system. A deep, physiological familiarity hit him so hard it made his chest ache. His brain short-circuited for a fraction of a second.

Alisson did not flinch under his intense, burning stare. She tilted her chin up, a cold, mocking smile playing on her lips.

"My apologies, Mr. Yates," Alisson said, her voice dripping with arrogant disdain. "I clearly lack discipline in raising my children. I am sorry they interrupted your... 'wedding of the century'."

The blinding flash of cameras erupted again, infinitely more aggressive than before.

The reporters surged forward like sharks smelling blood in the water. They shoved their heavy microphones toward Alisson's face, desperate to capture the confrontation between the cold billionaire and this stunning, mysterious woman.

"Ma'am! Are you Jake Yates's secret mistress?" a reporter shouted over the chaos.

"Are you using these children to extort the Yates family for a multi-million dollar settlement?" another yelled, pushing a recorder inches from her chin.

Alisson's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. She pressed Janna's head firmly against her shoulder, using the wide lapel of her trench coat to shield the child's face from the blinding flashes. Her other hand tightened its grip on Jovany's fingers.

Jake watched the reporters swarm her. His jaw clenched so hard a muscle ticked in his cheek. A sudden, irrational surge of violent anger flared in his chest.

He spun around and glared at Alex.

"Clear the room," Jake roared.

Instantly, the elite black-clad security force of the Yates family flooded the ballroom. They moved like a military unit, forming a solid human wall. They physically shoved the screaming reporters backward, snatching cameras from the hands of those who refused to retreat.

As the chaos was pushed back, Doretta Yates pushed her way to the front of the crowd, supported by two wealthy socialites. Her face was purple with rage.

Doretta looked Alisson up and down, her eyes filled with toxic contempt.

"I have seen a hundred women just like you," Doretta sneered, her voice loud enough for the remaining guests to hear. "You think you can use a couple of bastards to climb into a billionaire's bed. It is pathetic."

Alisson met the older woman's venomous glare without blinking.

"Keep your delusions to yourself, Mrs. Yates," Alisson replied, her tone perfectly flat and devastatingly cold. "I have absolutely zero interest in stepping foot into your family's snake pit."

Iman Lucas, finally recovering from the shock of seeing Alisson alive, saw an opportunity to save his family's ruined reputation. He rushed forward, pointing a shaking finger at Alisson.

"You shameless disgrace!" Iman shouted, his face contorted with fake righteous anger. "Do not listen to her! She is my adopted daughter. I threw her out of my house five years ago because her private life was a filthy mess! Those children are nothing but stray mongrels!"

The word "mongrels" hung in the air.

Jovany's head snapped up. His dark eyes locked onto Iman Lucas with a look of pure, homicidal coldness. He memorized the man's face, silently adding him to the top of his destruction list.

Jake heard Iman's insult. A sharp, inexplicable pain sliced through his chest. He turned his head slowly and fixed Iman with a stare so lethal it made the older man instantly snap his mouth shut and take a step back in terror.

Bella, still trembling on the floor, grabbed onto Jake's pant leg. Tears streamed down her ruined makeup.

"Jake, please," Bella sobbed hysterically. "She is doing this to ruin me! It's a setup! I love you, please don't believe her lies!"

Jake violently jerked his leg away, ripping his fabric from her grasp. He did not even look down at her. His eyes remained locked on Alisson and the boy standing beside her.

Doretta turned her fury toward her younger son, Kian Yates, who was standing near the buffet table.

"Is this your doing, Kian?" Doretta demanded sharply. "Did you knock up some woman and hire her to ruin your brother's engagement?"

Kian threw his hands up in the air, his eyes wide with panic.

"Mother, I swear to God!" Kian yelled defensively. "I am a playboy, yes, but I have never seen this gorgeous woman in my life! And I am definitely not smart enough to produce a kid who looks like that! I will take a DNA test right now to prove it!"

The words "DNA test" struck Doretta like a bolt of lightning.

She spun around and pointed her cane at Jake.

"Kian is right," Doretta ordered, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Jake, you will take a DNA test immediately. The Yates bloodline is sacred. If those children carry our blood, I will not allow them to live in the gutter with this woman."

Bella let out a horrifying gasp. Her face turned the color of a corpse. Her entire body began to shake uncontrollably.

If they did a DNA test, it wouldn't just prove the twins were Jake's. It would inevitably expose Geovanni's true maternity. The massive, five-year lie she had built her entire life upon would be detonated.

Bella scrambled to her feet, waving her hands frantically.

"No! You can't!" Bella screamed, her voice breaking. "It's a trick! She will tamper with the results! You can't trust the test!"

Jake looked at Bella's pathetic, frantic panic. His suspicion reached its absolute peak. He turned his cold eyes back to Alisson.

"Call the medical team," Jake ordered Alex, his voice devoid of all emotion.

"Yes, sir," Alex replied, immediately dialing the chief of the Yates-owned private hospital. "They will be here with the mobile lab equipment in ten minutes."

The remaining guests held their breath. No one moved toward the exits. They were all waiting for the ultimate verdict of the blood test.

Alisson's stomach twisted into a tight knot. She would rather die than let her children become biological evidence for this arrogant family.

She tightened her grip on Jovany's hand and adjusted Janna in her arms. She swept her cold gaze over the room.

"This circus is over," Alisson announced firmly. "We are leaving."

She turned toward the main doors.

Instantly, a dozen massive security guards stepped sideways, forming a solid, impenetrable wall of muscle between her and the exit.

Jake took a slow, deliberate step toward her. His tall frame cast a dark shadow over her. The physical pressure he exuded was suffocating.

He looked down at her, his eyes burning with dark intensity.

"Until the results are in," Jake stated, his voice a low, absolute command, "no one takes a single step out of this room."