Celeste kept her head down, her expensive designer coat looking suddenly frayed and out of place.

Vivian looked exhausted, her shoulders slumped in total defeat.

The office became quiet again, save for the distant sound of sirens down on the street below.

Ryker took a deep breath, his broad shoulders dropping a fraction of an inch as the tension left his body.

“Is it over, Tessa?” he asked, turning his dark eyes toward me.

“The criminal part is,” I said, tapping the screen of my tablet to save the encrypted audio file.

“The federal prosecutor has everything they need to charge Voss, Reed, and Mercer with conspiracy and kidnapping.”

“And the custody?” Ryker asked.

“With Voss’s arrest and the evidence of coercion, the temporary custody challenge is dead,” I told him.

“I will file the final adoption petition first thing in the morning.”

Ryker walked over to the tall windows, looking out over the grey Chicago skyline.

“Let’s go home,” he said. “Lily and Owen are waiting.”

The drive back to the suburban estate was quiet, the rain finally beginning to clear from the afternoon sky.