As I stood silently in the garden, the chilly December air biting through my coat, I felt a strange sort of calm. I had built my entire life on strategic thinking, on knowing when to act and when to wait. Dawn would come soon enough, and with it, the illumination of truth.
I took a moment to compose myself, drawing in deep breaths and reminding myself that this wasn’t just about the house or the money. This was about family, about betrayal, and about setting things right. Stephen had always been ambitious, but I never imagined he would be capable of something so cold-hearted, so calculated. And Amanda, with her sharp eyes and sharper tongue, was clearly the mastermind of this wretched scheme.
Quietly, I slipped away from the garden and made my way to my favorite thinking spot—a small bench beneath the old oak tree at the far end of the property. I needed a plan of my own. I needed allies, but more importantly, I needed to ensure that Claire was safe and reassured. She had been my partner through every storm, and now she needed to know she wasn’t alone.
