Chapter 172

The next morning, Zach walked into the National Security Bureau.
He was there to pick up Tara. Just after sunrise, he’d gotten a call saying the investigation was over. Lyla’s leak had nothing to do with DeepQuanta.
He still hated what Tara had done. But she was carrying his child, and there were scores that hadn’t been settled. He forced himself to put all that disgust aside and showed up.
He barely stepped into the lobby before he saw Tara coming out of the interrogation room, looking pale and shaken.
When she spotted Zach, her eyes went red and glossy. She was clutching her pregnant belly, voice thick with tears. “Zach, you’re finally here. I was so scared. They kept me in this freezing room all night, asking all these questions I didn’t even understand. I didn’t sleep at all.”
“It’s okay now. I’m here.” Zach gently patted her back, but his mind wandered unwillingly to Reese. After his report, Reese had been stuck in the Bureau for three days and two nights. When she got out, he went to see her, only to leave her standing in the pouring rain, watching Sebastian shelter Leslie and help her into a car.
“It’s all cleared up now. Go home and get some rest.” Zach kept his voice gentle, though inside he was a mess. The whole situation left him exhausted and bitter.
Tara’s tears kept flowing. “Yeah… The leak had nothing to do with us anyway.”
She hesitated, then asked, “Do you think it was Reese? Maybe she set this up just to drag us down?”
For once, Zach didn’t say anything. Tara had tried to poison him against Reese before. Only now did he realize she just wanted to deepen his resentment.
But Tara was pregnant with his child. Whatever happened, he couldn’t let anything go wrong for the baby.
Zach took a deep breath, forcing down his frustration. He offered Tara a reassuring look. “I know you’ve been through a lot. Don’t worry, I won’t let Reese hurt you again.”
He needed Tara calm if he wanted to uncover what the Ramos family had done to Reese. He couldn’t afford to scare her off.
He wrapped an arm around her and led her out of the Bureau. A black Bentley rolled up to the curb, stopping right in front of them.
The car door opened and Sebastian stepped out, tall and sharp in a black suit, his expression cold but with a hint of urgency.
Zach’s face darkened. Inside, he’d overheard agents talking-Leslie was probably connected to Lyla and had been brought in for questioning yesterday. Sebastian showing up now was no coincidence.
After Reese was forced to marry Sebastian, she must have endured so much in the Ratcliff family. Now seeing Sebastian so desperate for another woman made Zach’s blood boil.
He shot Sebastian a look, full of contempt, and let out a cold snort.
Sebastian caught the look and
frowned, meeting Zach’s eyes. He’d always known about Reese and Zach’s past. He remembered
Reese’s first request for a
divorce right after Zach came back to the country.

Seeing Zach so protective of Tara now, Sebastian wondered what Reese ever
saw in him. The man was fickle, unreliable, not worth anyone’s time.
They locked eyes, both sizing each other up, both convinced the other was the real problem. If Reese had been there, she would’ve found it both ridiculous and tragic-twomen who had hurt her most each
thinking the other was the real jerk.
Sebastian finally looked away, refusing to waste another second. He strode into the Bureau.
He’d rushed over as soon as he heard Leslie was taken in. He was the one who’d introduced Big X to Blackeak through Mr. Sanchez. If Leslie really was involved in the leak, Ratcliff Global would be in trouble.
A staff member led him to the interrogation room. Leslie sat slumped in a chair, hair messy, eyes red and tired-she looked like she hadn’t slept at all.
When she saw Sebastian, her eyes brightened. She tried to stand but was stuck in the restraining chair.
“Sebastian, you have to believe me. I’m innocent. I don’t even know a Lyla, let alone contact her!”
Sebastian frowned at her pale face and turned to the agents. “I’m Sebastian Ratcliff, CEO of Ratcliff Global. She’s a friend of mine.
“I heard she’s being investigated about Lyla’s case. Do you have any real evidence?”
One of the agents answered, a little nervous, “Mr. Ratcliff, we haven’t found any solid evidence so far.”
They’d gotten to Big X as fast as possible, seized Leslie’s phone, but found nothing linking her to Lyla.
Sebastian nodded. As far as he knew, Leslie wasn’t the type to do something like this.