My truck broke down, so I came home 6 weeks early and found my son Tyler missing. My wife claimed he was at an “enrichment program.” One hour later, I found him trapped inside a 95°F greenhouse, underweight and begging me not to leave. Then he told me about another little boy.

Sarah, Lauren's sister, was more than willing to help. She had been suspicious of Voss from the beginning and was horrified when I told her what had happened to Tyler.

"She's coming here, David," Sarah told me over the phone. "I called her and told her I had an emergency and needed her help. She managed to slip away from Voss's 'security' while he was at a meeting. She’s on her way to my house in Kansas City right now."

I left Marcus at the cabin with the boys, armed and on high alert. I drove the rental car to Kansas City, my mind a storm of anxiety.

When I arrived at Sarah's house, Lauren was already there. She was sitting on the couch, clutching a cup of tea, her eyes red and swollen. When she saw me walk through the door, she stood up, looking terrified and deeply ashamed.

"David," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I... I didn't know. I swear to God, I didn't know."

"How could you not know, Lauren?" I asked, keeping my distance. "You sent our son to a farm in the middle of nowhere without even visiting it first. You took the word of a man you barely knew."

"Garrett was so charming," she sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "He told me Tyler was heading down a bad path. He said the internet was rotting his brain, that he was becoming defiant. I felt so alone, David! You were always gone, and I didn't know how to handle him. Garrett said this program would build his character. He showed me brochures of beautiful cabins, horses, campfires... I didn't know they'd lock him in a greenhouse! I didn't know they'd starve him!"

"He lost twenty pounds, Lauren," I said, my voice cold. "And they told him I was dead. They tried to break him."

"They told me he was doing great!" she cried. "Every time I called, Voss said Tyler was making progress, but that 'communication blackouts' were necessary for the detox process. I believed him! I was so stupid!"

I took a deep breath, stepping closer. "If you want to make this right, Lauren, you have to help me. We have to shut Voss down. We have to save the other kids."

"How?" she asked, looking up at me, desperate.

"Voss has financial records. He has contracts. You signed them. You have access to his online portal, don't you?"

"Yes," she said, nodding quickly. "I have the login details. Garrett gave them to me so I could make the payments."

"We need those files," I said. "We need the list of all the kids currently enrolled in his 'programs' and the financial transactions showing where the money is going. If we can prove he's pocketing state funds meant for foster kids like Leo, we can bring him down for good."