"I know the rules well enough. So tell me now—who sent you?"

Derek swallowed hard, his eyes lingering greedily on the card before he wrestled his desire back under control.

"I don't know her name. A woman approached me, paid me, and told me to watch that location. All she wanted were photos of you with Sophie Turner."

"A woman?" Isabella’s brow furrowed as she turned the information over in her mind.

It didn't make sense. How could Derek have known she would receive a gift from Sophie at that exact moment? Was Sophie’s gift part of the trap too?

A flood of questions rushed through her.

What she had initially dismissed as a simple misunderstanding was clearly a calculated plot.

Misreading her silence as fear, Derek grew bolder.

"Miss Scott, I beg you, please let this go. I was just trying to make some quick cash."

Isabella’s reply was sharp and final.

"Get out."

Derek snatched the card and scurried away.

"What's our next step, Miss Scott?" Oliver asked, his voice laced with concern.

Isabella’s gaze shifted, her mind made up.

"I need to see Sophie Turner."

Oliver gave a silent nod of agreement and followed her out.

Once inside her car, Isabella tried calling Sophie.

The phone rang.

It rang again and again, but no one picked up.

Frustration tightened Isabella’s features, a deep unease settling in her stomach.

She tried several more times.

Each attempt was met with the same automated message.

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable."

Unavailable?

A cold dread prickled down Isabella’s spine.

She was already too late.

She turned to her assistant. "Oliver, find Sophie Turner. Now. We need to move fast."

"Right away, Miss Scott," Oliver said, hurrying off to execute the order.

Isabella slipped her phone back into her purse.

She had already informed Liam’s kindergarten teacher she might be late.

When she arrived, she found Liam sitting by himself, quietly stacking blocks, his little face unusually somber.

He wore a light blue T-shirt and khaki shorts, looking heartbreakingly small.

A weight pressed down on Isabella’s heart.

Liam was usually so bright and cheerful, rarely this subdued. She moved quickly, kneeling beside him. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Liam lifted his tear-filled eyes to hers. "Mommy... the other kids... they said I don't have a daddy..."