“We can work something out.”

I did not answer him.

I watched as the officer led him out of the room.

Beatrice stood perfectly still as the second officer approached her.

She did not struggle, but she kept her eyes fixed on me.

“You will ruin everything your mother built,” Beatrice whispered.

“The Ashford name was the only thing keeping this estate solvent.”

“My mother built this estate with her own hands and her own heart,” I said.

“You only built a cage.”

The officer placed the handcuffs on Beatrice’s wrists.

She walked out of the room with her head held high, though her hands were shaking.

The study became quiet again.

The flashing lights outside continued to paint the walls in red and blue.

Grace put her hand on my shoulder.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

“I am better than I have been in a long time,” I said.

We walked downstairs to the grand foyer.

The front doors were wide open, letting in the cool night air.

A small crowd of reporters had gathered at the edge of the driveway, their cameras flashing.