Chapter 5 - Liquidation and LiberationThe dismantling of the Wycliffe estate took another three months, overseen by federal receivers and my own legal team.
Under the terms of the emergency asset seizure and divorce settlement, every remaining asset, property, trust fund, and corporate holding associated with Graham and Constance was liquidated. The grand Wycliffe estate on the Hudson River—the very house where they had planned my murder—was seized by the state and converted into a public women's shelter and legal aid clinic.
I stood on the front lawn of the estate on a crisp autumn morning, watching as workers removed the heavy wrought-iron gates bearing the Wycliffe family crest.
Damon walked up beside me, handing me a steaming cup of coffee in a plain paper cup.
“End of an era,” Damon said quietly, watching the cranes lift the heavy metal sign away.
“No,” I corrected him, taking a sip of the coffee and feeling the warm, steady beat of my own heart. “Beginning of a new one.”
He smiled, sliding his hands into his coat pockets. “So, what’s next for the fiercest former prosecutor in Manhattan? Are you going back to district court?”
“Not prosecution,” I replied, looking out over the Hudson River, which sparkled brightly beneath the morning sun. “I’m opening my own private firm specializing in forensic financial investigations and protecting vulnerable victims of corporate and domestic abuse. Nobody should ever have to fight alone in a house full of locked doors.”
Damon nodded approvingly. “If you need a lead investigator on retainer, you know my number.”
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“I’ll keep that in mind, Detective,” I laughed softly.
For the first time in years, the future didn't feel like a trap. It felt wide open, clean, and entirely my own.
