Chapter 8 - The Verdict and the Ashes
The jury deliberated for less than an hour.
"On the charge of Aggravated Kidnapping, we find the defendant guilty. On the charge of Attempted Murder, guilty. On the charge of Fraud and Extortion, guilty."
Judge Eleanor Thomas delivered the sentence without hesitation: Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
One month later, heavy construction machinery arrived at Sterling Hall.
Arthur, Ethan, and Clara stood at the edge of the gates, watching as a massive wrecking ball smashed into the white plaster walls of the mansion.
Ethan held his father's hand tightly as the East Wing collapsed into a cloud of dust and rubble, erasing the physical prison that had kept him hidden for three long years.
May you like
"It's gone, Father," Ethan said softly.
"It's gone," Arthur agreed. "Now we build our real home."
