Chapter 8 - The Clearing of the Estate
By the end of the month, the sprawling mansion on Elm Street—the symbol of the Vance family's hollow prestige—was empty.
A court-appointed liquidator had ordered the auction of its contents to satisfy civil restitution claims. Movers in blue overalls carried out antique mahogany furniture, custom art pieces, and crystal chandeliers that had once echoed with the pretentious laughter of Arthur and Evelyn's high-society guests.
I stood on the front lawn, watching a truck haul away the last of the debris.
Marcus walked up beside me, holding a clipboard with the final sign-off documents. “The property sale clears tomorrow morning. The trust has already purchased the land rights for your new design institute downtown. Every cent the Vances tried to steal from you is going back into funding independent tech patents for women engineers.”
“Good,” I said, letting out a deep breath as the crisp spring wind caught my hair. “Close the chapter, Marcus.”
May you like
He smiled, signing off the last line. “It’s closed, Claire. Permanently.”
---
