Kate climbed the stairs to the Eileen building in silence. When she walked in, Oliver was fast asleep on the couch, tucked under a blanket up to his chin, a dinosaur video still playing on his tablet. She smiled and gently ran her fingers through his hair.

"Mommy's home, sweetheart," she whispered.

Oliver barely opened his eyes but gave her a sleepy little smile.

She sat with him for a while, holding him close, soaking in his warmth—and reminded herself that this was her compass. Her priority.

But she had to leave him and head back to the mansion. Valerie, Julian's former employee, had agreed to meet her early in the morning. Kate needed that evidence desperately. The first court hearing was in two days, and without something solid, Julian would crush her in court.

She couldn't let that happen. Not when her freedom was on the line.

She pulled up in front of the house and frowned when she spotted the black Maybach.

"What the hell…?" she muttered, killing the engine.

She