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Fern pats my knee gently. “Savannah, why don't we step into the kitchen? I'd like to go over a few things while they talk.”

I hesitate, every instinct screaming at me not to leave. But Cade gives me that steady look, the one that tells me he's got this handled, that I can trust him to fight for us even when I can't fight for myself.

“It's fine, Pretty Girl,” he murmurs, and the way he says it makes my heart clench. “Go with Fern.”

As I stand, Stanley jumps up too, his nails clicking against the hardwood and his fur rubbing against my leg as he follows me toward the kitchen. If Cade can’t be with me, Stanley isn’t going to let me deal with this alone.

I just hope Ivy sees what I see. Cade isn’t just my husband.

He’s my everything. My protector, my savior.

He’s the only reason any of this is possible.

He’s the only reason I still have hope in this world.

I can't wait for him to meet Adley, for her to see that she's getting more than just a sister. She's getting a family.

If he survives long enough to meet her.

The thought hits me like a sucker punch, and I have to grip the kitchen counter to keep from falling apart.

Twenty minutes later, Ivy and Cade step back into the living room. Although his jaw is tight, his shoulders are relaxed. There are no obvious signs that anything went wrong, but the knots in my stomach refuse to loosen.

Ivy smooths her blazer as she gathers her things from the coffee table.

“I have everything I need for now. I'll start drafting the paperwork and reaching out to the necessary parties. In the meantime, continue gathering all the documents we discussed… financial statements, employment verification, proof of residency. The stronger our evidence, the better our chances.”

Cade nods without hesitation. “You'll have everything by the end of the week.”

Will they? The question burns in my throat, but I bite it back. Now isn’t the time or place.

Fern steps forward, squeezing my forearm with maternal warmth. “You're doing amazing, Savannah. This process is exhausting, but you have a strong case. We'll be with you every step of the way.”

I swallow the emotion threatening to choke me and force a smile. “Thank you.”

“I'll be in touch soon,” Ivy says with a firm nod.

Cade opens the door for them, ever the gentleman, offering polite goodbyes as they disappear into the hallway. The moment the door clicks shut, I exhale a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

Stanley, sensing the shift in energy, huffs dramatically before trotting back to the couch and flopping down like he's the one who just survived an interrogation.

Cade lingers by the door for a beat, his hand resting on the knob. I study him carefully, taking in the way his shoulders roll back, the way his fingers flex against his thigh, and then I clear my throat. “What did Ivy say to you?”

He turns slowly, his green eyes locking onto mine, and for a moment, he just looks at me, really looks at me, like he’s weighing what he’s about to say.

“She asked about my financials, like she said she would,” he starts, stepping toward me. “Wanted to know what my contract with the Anglerfish includes, how stable my income will be, if I have any outstanding debts.”

“And?”

His lips press together for a second before he exhales. “She also asked if I understood the responsibility I was taking on, and if I was sure about this.”

I freeze. “And what did you say?”

His expression softens, but his voice is steady. “I told her I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

The words hit me like a physical blow because I know they're not just about Adley. They're about everything: Taking on my sister, the fight, the risk he's taking with our entire future.

“She needed to know that I’m not just doing this for you,” he continues, stepping even closer, his hands finding my waist. “That I want this, Sav. That I want Adley here. That I want a life with you. Both of you.”

My throat constricts with a tangle of love and fear so intense it physically hurts. “And you think risking everything is the only way to get that life?”

The words come out softer than I intended, more broken than angry.

His hands find my waist, and I don't pull away even though part of me wants to. “I think Luke isn't going to stop until he destroys us. And I can't, I won't, let that happen.”

“There has to be another way.” But even as I say it, my voice wavers because what other way is there? Luke's too careful, too connected, too smart. He's made it clear he's not going to stop, and every attempt we've made to get out from under his thumb has failed.

Cade's forehead drops to mine, and I can feel the exhaustion radiating from his entire body. “If there was another way, don't you think I would have found it by now? Don't you think I've spent every waking moment trying to figure out how to protect you without putting everything on the line?”

His voice cracks at his last words, and it breaks something inside me because I know he's right. I know he's looked at this from every angle, considered every option. I know he doesn't want to do this any more than I want him to, but that doesn't make it easier to accept.

“I'm scared,” I whisper, the admission tearing from my chest like a physical wound. “I'm so fucking scared, Cade. What if something goes wrong? What if you don't come back to me?”

“I am coming home,” he says fiercely, cupping my face in his hands. “I'm going to come home to you, and Adley’s going to move in with us. That's a promise.”

I want to believe him. God, I want to believe him so badly it physically hurts. I just don’t know if I can.

“I just hope we get the chance to go to Connecticut,” I whisper, my hands fisting in his shirt like I can somehow keep him here through sheer force of will. “I hope you get the chance to meet her.”

Because if you don't come home to me, I don't know how I'm supposed to do this alone.

The unspoken words hang between us, and from the way his expression crumbles, I know he hears them anyway.

“I will,” he says, but for the first time, his voice falters. “I promise you, I will.”

I don't know if it's a promise or a prayer, but with everything we have on the line, it has to be enough.