She did not speak as they led her out, but her eyes locked onto mine with a cold, promising hatred.

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the last four years finally begin to lift from my chest.

I turned to Benjamin, who had buried his face in his hands.

“They are safe now, Benjamin,” I said quietly, touching his shoulder.

He looked up, tears streaming down his lined face.

“I let this happen, Elena,” he whispered.

“I let her into my house, and I nearly destroyed my own children,” he said.

“You have a chance to fix it now,” I told him.

“I will step down from the company,” Benjamin said, his voice shaking but resolute.

“I will hand the daily operations over to the board and focus entirely on being a father.”

“That is what Claire would have wanted,” I said, packing my laptop into my briefcase.

“Let’s go see the girls,” Benjamin said, standing up.

We walked out of the courtroom together, pushing through the crowd of shouting reporters.

The snow was still falling outside, covering the city in a clean, quiet white.