Chapter 8 - Clearing the EstateThree days after the shareholders’ meeting, the sprawling Blackwood estate felt entirely different. The oppressive, cold atmosphere that had weighed down the hallways for seven long years had been swept away, replaced by the sound of laughter, music, and the simple joy of everyday life.
In the grand kitchen, the morning sun poured through the massive bay windows, casting warm golden patterns across the marble countertops.
Amelia stood by the stove, stirring a pot of hot cocoa, while Lily sat at the island drawing pictures with crayons. The physical scars on Amelia’s face were fading day by day, but the light in her eyes—the fierce, unyielding warmth that Ethan had fallen in love with a decade ago—had fully returned.
Ethan walked into the kitchen, wearing a comfortable cashmere sweater instead of his usual rigid business suit. He wrapped his arms around Amelia’s waist from behind, resting his chin gently on her shoulder.
“Something smells incredible,” Ethan whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.
Amelia smiled, leaning back into his embrace. “Just making sure Lily has enough sugar before her first day at her new private school.”
Lily looked up from her drawing, her eyes wide with excitement. “Daddy, do I really get to take the yellow school bus with the other kids today?”
Ethan walked over, kneeling down beside her chair and brushing a stray lock of dark hair from her forehead. “You can take the bus, sweetheart, or I can drive you in the big car. Whatever makes you happiest.”
“I want to take the bus!” Lily declared happily. “Just like normal kids.”
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Ethan’s heart swelled with a profound sense of gratitude. For so long, their lives had been dictated by fear, corporate paranoia, and the toxic shadow of Victor’s ambitions. Now, they were reclaiming the ordinary, beautiful moments that had been stolen from them.
Later that afternoon, a team of specialized movers arrived at the estate to clear out the servants’ wing and seal away the remaining evidence of Nora’s quarters. Ethan watched from the upstairs landing as the last boxes were carried out to a disposal truck. The past was being packed away into cardboard and driven into the dark, never to be disturbed again.
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