“She knew they would see Ethan as a prize to be won,” he said.

“She was right,” I said.

“Celeste almost succeeded.”

“But she didn’t,” Alexander said.

He looked at me, his eyes dark and serious in the moonlight.

“I need to make sure this never happens again, Elena.”

“The estate is safe now,” I said.

“The police have the evidence.”

“The estate is just stone and glass,” Alexander said.

“Ethan is what matters.”

He took a step closer to me.

“The lawyers are arriving tomorrow morning,” he said.

“I am going to make some permanent changes to the estate’s structure.”

I looked at him, confused.

“Sir?” I asked.

“I want you to be a part of those changes, Elena,” he said.

“We need to discuss Eleanor’s final wishes.”

“She left specific instructions regarding Ethan’s future.”

He stopped, his gaze shifting to the driveway.

A set of headlights appeared at the gates, moving slowly.

It was not a police car.

It was a black sedan with tinted windows.

The gates did not open this time.

The car stopped just outside the iron bars, its engine idling in the quiet night.