Chapter 296

Tara’s voice shook with tears, her whole body trembling. “After everything I’ve done for you, how could you just pick Reese over me?”
She grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa and slammed it onto the floor, watching it bounce once before landing in silence. Then she slumped back onto the couch, tears streaming down her cheeks, her heart aching with loneliness.
Right now, the only people who could possibly help the Ramos family were the Ratcliffs and Zach. But Zach had already blocked her everywhere. And as for the Ratcliffs, who could she even ask?
Then she remembered-Leslie.
Leslie had once saved Sebastian’s life. To repay her, Sebastian had even risked the entire Ratcliff Global empire, forcing BlackOak and Big X into a partnership. If Leslie was willing to speak up now, maybe Sebastian would actually listen.
Clinging to that hope, Tara wiped her face, found Leslie’s number, and hit call.
On the other end, Leslie’s brow furrowed when she saw Tara’s name on the screen. She sighed, annoyed. A late-night call from Tara could only mean more drama. She considered ignoring it, but the phone just kept ringing.
Finally, she picked up, voice cool and a little fake. “Ms. Ramos, sorry, I was in the shower and just saw your call. Is something wrong? It’s pretty late.”
“Leslie, sorry to bother you,” Tara said, swallowing her pride. She could hear the impatience in Leslie’s voice, but she had no choice. She quickly explained that Dylon had just been arrested.
“I was hoping you could reach out to Mr. Ratcliff, maybe ask him to help us.”
Leslie’s eyes flashed with
annoyance, her tone turning sharp. “That’s not really possible, Ms. Ramos. Everyone knows you’re on Reese’s bad side these days. And since she and Sebastian are planning for a second baby, I doubt anyone could convince him to help you,” she said bluntly.
“That’s ridiculous!” Tara shot back. “She was just threatening to divorce him after finding out he secretly used another woman’s embryo. She even had the baby terminated Why would she want another child with him now? That doesn’t make any sense!”
Tara had been the first to uncover that secret. She knew exactly what had happened. No woman would ever agree to have another baby with a man who betrayed her like that. It just didn’t add up.
Leslie’s eyes went wide, her
thoughts spinning. She’d always assumed Reese had ended the pregnancy to punish Sebastian or try to get him back, which explained her sudden willingness to try again. But if Beese had actually known the baby wasn’t hers, that changed everything.
So why would Reese agree to another child? Was it for the shares Mr. Ratcliff left her, or was something else going on?
“Leslie?” Tara’s voice finally broke the silence, anxious and desperate. “Even if Sebastian won’t help, you’re smart. There has to be something you can do, right?”
Leslie arched an eyebrow, her voice cool. “I think you’ve got the wrong idea about how much power I have, Ms. Ramos
“Leslie!” Tara snapped, her patience gone. “You have to help me. I know the truth about how Mr. Ratcliff died.
“If you don’t help me get my dad out of jail, I’ll tell Sebastian everything. I’ll tell him you’re the one who murdered his grandfather.”
Leslie let out a dry, mocking laugh, finally dropping the polite act. “You really think you can threaten me with that? I only got into Mr. Ratcliff’s hospital room because your family helped me. Don’t forget—you’re just as involved in this as I am.”