Chapter 6 - The ReclamationThe trial of Margaret, Judge Thorne, and their associates lasted for two years. They were stripped of their titles, their wealth, and their freedom. The mansion was sold, and the proceeds were funneled into a foundation for the victims of institutional abuse.
Lillian lived in a house by the ocean, a place where the air was clean and the sound of the waves replaced the humming of monitors. Her memory was fractured, but she remembered the important things—she remembered that I was her son, and she remembered that we had finally won.
I stood on the porch of the seaside house, watching the sun dip into the horizon. I had lost the family fortune, the company, and the comfortable life I had known. But I had gained something far more valuable.
My mother walked out, a soft smile on her face. She sat beside me, and for a moment, the silence was perfect.
"It’s a beautiful day, isn't it?" she asked.
"The best," I replied.
May you like
I realized then that the crimes that had built our name were meant to enslave us. They were meant to keep us quiet, compliant, and cold. But by breaking the foundation, I had finally been able to build a life on truth. We weren't the rich, powerful family the city had feared—we were just two people who had survived the dark, sitting in the light, finally free to be exactly who we were.
The empire was ash, but for the first time, I felt like a king.
