“I should have never left them there today,” I said, my hands clenching into fists in my lap.

Alexander reached over and covered my hand with his, his palm warm and dry.

“They are safe, Emma,” he said. “The security team inside the house answers only to me.”

“But Victoria has the paperwork,” I said. “The old custody papers she threatened me with.”

“They are invalid,” Alexander said. “She has no legal standing, and after today, she never will again.”

He pulled out his phone again, dialing a direct number.

“This is Alexander Sterling,” he said when the call connected. “Connect me to District Attorney Vance.”

I watched him as he spoke, his voice carrying the quiet authority he had just reclaimed in the boardroom.

“Robert,” Alexander said into the phone. “I need an emergency injunction filed immediately against Victoria Sterling.”

He paused, listening to the man on the other end of the line.

“She is currently attempting to access my residence to remove my children,” Alexander said. “I have the security feeds.”

The car turned sharply onto Park Avenue, the tires splashing through shallow puddles.