Inside the Rolls Royce Phantom parked at the curb, Archibald Sanders watched the chaos unfold on the tablet in his lap. The screen showed a live feed from Casimiro's hidden body camera. His face was a mask of thunderous fury.

He had heard the commotion through Casimiro's earpiece. He had heard Jenelle's scream.

He stopped breathing.

The scene before him was chaos. Jenelle was on the floor, weeping and clutching her knee. Her two hired goons were blind, sneezing and stumbling into the walls.

And standing in the center of the storm were three children.

Archibald's eyes locked onto the boy in the front. The one with the messy dark hair and the defiant stance.

The boy looked up, straight at Casimiro's camera.

Archibald felt like he had been punched in the gut. The air left his lungs in a rush.

Those eyes.

They were his eyes. The exact shade of stormy gray-blue that stared back at him from the mirror every morning. The shape of the brow, the stubborn set of the jaw... it was like looking at a photograph of himself at age five.

Time seemed to warp, slowing down to a crawl.

Jenelle saw Casimiro and let out a wail. "Casimiro! Help me! These monsters attacked me! They're crazy! Where is Archie?"

Archibald ignored her voice crackling through the feed. He leaned closer to the screen, his knuckles white as he gripped the tablet. He watched as Casimiro, following silent orders, stepped over Jenelle's legs as if she were a piece of furniture and walked straight toward the boy.

Blace didn't flinch. He held his ground, chin up, fists clenched.

Casimiro stopped two feet away. He towered over the child, but the boy didn't look scared. He looked... assessing.

Did you do this? Casimiro asked, his voice a neutral vessel for the question Archibald was burning to ask.

She stomped on my sister's bear, Blace said. His voice was steady. "Self-defense."

Archibald watched as the camera panned to the little girl. She was clutching a dirty bear, tears making tracks in the dust on her cheeks.

Something twisted in Archibald's chest. A sharp, unfamiliar pain.

What is wrong with me?

Then, the restroom door banged open.

Get away from them!

The scream tore through the air. Annelise burst out, her hair wild, water dripping from her chin. She saw the tall, dark figure of Casimiro looming over her children.

But her eyes shot past him, through the glass doors of the terminal, and locked onto the imposing, dark silhouette of the Rolls Royce Phantom waiting at the curb. The windows were tinted black, but she knew whose car that was. She knew the emblem. Archibald Sanders. The ruthless billionaire who had discarded her like trash six years ago.

Terror, cold and absolute, flooded her veins.

No, she gasped. She threw herself between Casimiro and the kids, spreading her arms wide. "Tell your boss to stay away! Don't you dare touch them!"

Archibald recoiled in his seat as if she had screamed directly at him. He looked at her face on the screen.

It was Annelise Parker. But she looked different. The photos in the file showed a soft, pampered socialite. This woman was thin, her clothes were worn, and her eyes were filled with a raw, primal terror that unsettled him.

Annelise Parker, he murmured to the empty car, the name tasting like ash. Why did she look at his car with such fear? And why did her terrified face stir a memory he couldn't place... the memory of his Angel? He shook his head. Impossible.

You, she whispered, her pupils dilated, her breathing shallow and fast. She was looking at Casimiro, but her words were for the man in the car. "It's you."

Ma'am, Casimiro said calmly, trying to de-escalate. "Mr. Sanders just wants to talk."

Monster, she breathed. The word was so quiet Casimiro didn't hear it, but the microphone on his lapel picked it up and transmitted it directly to Archibald's earpiece.

Archibald froze. Why did she call him a monster with such visceral fear? He was the one who was wronged. She was the one who cheated.

Jenelle pulled herself up against the wall. "She's insane! Look at her! Arrest her!"

Casimiro took a step forward, his hand outstretched. "Ma'am, please. Let's not make a scene."

Blace saw his mother shaking. He saw the fear in her eyes. He decided the talking was over.

His hand went into his pocket again. He pressed a button on a small, crude remote control he had assembled from a garage door opener. It sent a high-frequency pulse toward the target he'd tagged earlier.

Outside, at the curb, the Rolls Royce Phantom sat idling. A device Blace had slapped onto the front tire's valve stem during the fire panic-a device containing a small, pressurized canister of a fast-acting corrosive agent-activated.

There was no boom. Just a sudden, violent HIIISSSSSSSSS!

The sound was deafening. The front tires of the Rolls Royce deflated simultaneously in under a second, the heavy car slamming down onto its rims with a metallic crunch. The car alarm began to shriek, echoing through the cavernous airport entrance.

Glass didn't shatter. But people screamed at the sudden, violent noise and the sight of the crippled luxury car.

Archibald was thrown forward in his seat by the sudden drop. "What the hell?"

For a second, everyone was distracted.

Annelise didn't hesitate. She grabbed Clemie.

Run! she screamed to the boys. "Run!"

The feed on Archibald's tablet cut out as Casimiro was shoved aside in the ensuing panic. He stared at the black screen. The car alarm was a shrill, incessant counterpoint to the thunderous pounding in his own chest.

Sir, Casimiro's voice crackled through the car's speakers, breathless. "They're gone. Headed for the parking garage. The woman... she looks terrified of you. Truly terrified. And the children... they're not normal kids. They're resourceful. Organized."

Archibald leaned his head back against the cool leather. He could still see the boy's eyes. His eyes. And he could still hear Annelise's whispered word: Monster.

The direct approach had failed catastrophically. He had arrived as a king, intending to sweep her up, force a signature, and banish her. Instead, his car was disabled, his name had been cursed, and his target had vanished, spirited away by a five-year-old saboteur.

"What are your orders, sir?"

"Find them," Archibald said, his voice dropping to a low, determined growl. "I want to know where she's hiding. I want to know who those children are. I will get to the bottom of this myself."

Annelise didn't look back. She grabbed Algernon's hand, hauled Clemie onto her hip, and ran.

They burst out of the side exit into the chaotic scene at the curb. The Rolls Royce was listing to one side, its alarm blaring. Security guards were running toward the car, shouting into their radios.

This way! Algernon yelled, pointing toward the parking garage. "Level B! Blind spots!"

They sprinted across the access road, dodging a shuttle bus that honked angrily.

Stop them! Casimiro's voice roared from behind them, carrying the authority of his employer.

Annelise's lungs burned. Her legs felt like lead. But the fear of that man in the car-the faceless phantom whose presence felt identical to the one that haunted her nightmares-gave her wings.

Two men in black suits peeled away from the car and started chasing them. They were fast.

Blace! Annelise gasped.

Blace was lagging behind, dragging the suitcases. He let go of the handles.

Leave them! he shouted.

He grabbed a row of metal luggage carts parked near the entrance to the garage. With a grunt of effort, he shoved the whole row sideways.

The carts crashed into each other, creating a metal barricade across the path.

The first bodyguard slammed into the carts, cursing.

They made it into the dim concrete throat of the parking garage.

Where now? Annelise panted.

Yellow Cab, Algernon directed, looking at his watch. "Exit 4. There is a taxi dropping off a passenger. Timing is... now."

They rounded a concrete pillar. Sure enough, a yellow taxi was just pulling to the curb, a passenger getting out.

Annelise didn't wait. She shoved the passenger-a startled businessman-aside before he had fully retrieved his bag.

Sorry! she yelled. She threw the kids into the back seat and dove in after them.

Drive! she screamed at the driver. She pulled a wad of cash from her pocket-her emergency fund-and threw a hundred-dollar bill onto the front seat. "Drive! Just go! Queens!"

The driver, a heavyset man with a thick beard, looked at the money, then at the pursuing bodyguards in the rearview mirror.

He grinned. "You got it, lady."

He slammed on the gas. The taxi screeched away, tires smoking, leaving the bodyguards shouting in the exhaust fumes.

Back at the curb, Archibald watched the yellow tail lights disappear into the traffic. His own security was helping him out of the now-lopsided Phantom.

He stood perfectly still, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His knuckles were white.

Sir, Casimiro panted, running up to him. "The car is disabled. The tires were... chemically corroded at the valves."

Archibald didn't care about the car. He didn't care about the money.

He turned to Casimiro. His face was terrifyingly calm.

Did you see the boy? Archibald asked softly.

The... the one who attacked Jenelle?

The one with my eyes, Archibald corrected. "The one who disabled my car with a toy."

Casimiro swallowed hard. "The resemblance is... significant, sir."

I'm not interested in significance right now, Archibald snapped. "I'm interested in location. I want to know who those children are. I want to know where she has been hiding them. My original plan was flawed. She's not a socialite to be intimidated; she's a survivor. We're switching to Plan B."

He walked toward the backup SUV that had pulled up, ignoring Jenelle, who was now being attended to by a different guard.

Pull the city surveillance, Archibald ordered. "Access the NYPD grid. Use the facial recognition software. I want that taxi found. I want that woman's final destination. I need her pinned down so I can execute the next phase."

He climbed into the dark leather seat, his heart pounding a rhythm he hadn't felt in years.

He closed his eyes, and the image of the boy's face burned behind his eyelids.

And Annelise. The look on her face.

Rapist.

Why had she called him that? She was the cheater. She was the one who had betrayed him. Why did she look at him with such genuine, horrifying fear? It didn't add up. The pieces of the puzzle were all wrong.

Find them, Archibald whispered to the empty air. "And secure the asset next door. I'm going in myself."

In the taxi, Annelise pulled the kids into a pile, hugging them so tight it hurt. She was sobbing, dry, heaving sobs that shook her whole body.

It's okay, Mom, Blace said, patting her arm awkwardly. "We got away. I melted his tires. It was awesome."

Don't ever do that again, Annelise cried, kissing his dirty forehead. "You could have been hurt."

He was big, Clemie whispered, her eyes wide. "The man in the big car... he smelled like... sadness. And rain."

Annelise shuddered. She knew that smell. It was the smell of the man who had ruined her life. She didn't know how the enforcer for her phantom husband could smell exactly like her attacker. The coincidence was so terrifying it felt like a curse.

And now, he knew they were here.

The taxi dropped them off in front of a motel in Queens that looked like it was held together by grime and bad intentions. The neon sign buzzed ominously, the "NO" in "NO VACANCY" flickering on and off.

Are you sure about this place, lady? the driver asked, eyeing a group of rough-looking men on the corner.

It's fine, Annelise said, handing him another bill. "Thank you."

It wasn't fine. It was a rat hole. But it was cash-only, and it didn't require ID scanning.

They hurried into the lobby, which smelled of stale smoke and bleach. Annelise paid for a room on the second floor, using the name "Mary Smith."

The room was small, with two sagging double beds and peeling floral wallpaper.

Check the room, Annelise said automatically. It was a game they played, but today it wasn't a game.

Algernon went to the TV. He pulled it away from the wall and disconnected the coaxial cable. "No smart devices," he muttered. He checked the phone, unscrewing the mouthpiece to check for bugs. "Clear."

Blace dragged a heavy armchair and wedged it under the door handle. He took a glass cup from the bathroom and balanced it on the doorknob. If anyone turned it, the glass would fall and break.

Perimeter secure, Blace announced.

Clemie took out a small spray bottle of lavender sanitizer she made herself and started spraying the pillows. "Germs," she whispered. "So many germs."

Annelise sat on the edge of the bed, her head in her hands. She felt like she was vibrating.

Mom? Algernon stood in front of her. "Who was that man at the airport? Logically, based on his intense reaction and a preliminary facial structure analysis, probability suggests he could be a biological relative."

Annelise looked up, her heart aching at their innocent but sharp questions. "No, Algy. That's a coincidence," she said firmly. "Your biological father was... just a stranger from a long time ago. Someone I never saw again."

Then who was the man chasing us? Blace asked, his voice hard, tiny fists clenched.

That was Archibald Sanders's security team, Annelise said haltingly, the name leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. "The Sanders family is very dangerous, powerful. He is my ex-husband."

If he's not our dad, why do we have to hide from him? Clemie asked softly, pausing her sanitizing.

Because of his pride and his control, Annelise explained, her voice trembling slightly. "Archibald is a ruthless billionaire. If he finds out I had children right around the time our marriage ended, he will view it as a betrayal, a stain on his reputation. He won't care who the real father is. He has the money and the lawyers to ruin us. He could take you away just to punish me, or use you as pawns."

He won't take us, Blace vowed, punching his palm. "I won't let him."

We need a plan, Algernon said. He sat cross-legged on the floor with his tablet. "I am accessing the local Wi-Fi. I'm routing through three proxies to mask our location."

Annelise watched him work. "Be careful, Algy."

Wait, Algernon said, his brow furrowing. "This is interesting."

What?

I'm scanning local private security chatter. There's a high-priority alert out for a woman and three children on The Sanders Group's corporate network. It's modern, encrypted with AES-256. That's his company hunting us.

Annelise felt a chill. "He's using his own army to hunt us."

But there's more, Algernon said, his voice dropping. "I've detected a separate query, routed from inside that network to a much older, private server. The encryption is archaic... almost twenty years old. It's a different system entirely."

His fingers flew across the screen. "Got it. It's the Sanders Family Trust's private server. It's not connected to the corporation. This is... personal. I'm in."

The name Hilliard, Archibald's powerful and shadowy grandfather, flashed in Annelise's mind. The thought of the old patriarch having a separate, secret network made a deeper, colder fear coil in her gut.

What's on it? she whispered.

Algernon's face was grim. "It's a query. An old one, reactivated an hour ago. It's not looking for you, Mom. It's a standing order to flag and report on 'children with exceptional cognitive or kinetic abilities' that enter the New York area. They're not just hunting a person. They're hunting prodigies. Like trophies."

Turn it off, Annelise said. "Turn it all off. We can't be online."

Night fell. The sounds of sirens wailed outside the thin window.

The kids fell asleep in one bed, tangled together like puppies. Annelise sat in the chair by the window, watching the street through a crack in the curtains.

She held her phone. She debated calling the one number she had. The man who had helped them in Europe. But she couldn't drag him into this.

High above the city, in the penthouse of Sanders Tower, Archibald was staring at a screen too.

We found the taxi, Casimiro said. "Dropped off in Queens. The Starlight Motel."

Archibald stood up. "Get the team. We go now."

Sir, it's 2 AM.

I don't care. Archibald buttoned his black coat. "I want answers."

Back at the motel, Annelise's eyes were heavy. She was drifting off.

Then she heard it.

Clink.

The glass fell off the doorknob and shattered on the floor.

Annelise bolted upright.

The door didn't open. It was just a test. Someone trying the handle.

Mom? Blace woke up instantly, sliding off the bed into a crouch.

Shh, Annelise hissed.

Then the window exploded.