Months passed. The legal battle was draining. Preston and Valerie glared at them across the courtroom, their faces twisted with resentment. Corinne gave testimony. She refused to let intimidation silence her.
When the judge finally ruled, his voice carried through the room. “The property and accumulated assets shall remain with Augusta and Raymond Keller. There is clear evidence of coercion and fraudulent intent.”
Augusta wept. Raymond covered his face with calloused hands. Corinne closed her eyes and allowed relief to wash over her. Justice had not arrived swiftly. It had arrived precisely when it was needed.
The Kellers invited Corinne to live with them on their estate just outside Silvergrove. It was a sprawling farmhouse with ivy climbing its porch rails and ancient oak trees lining the gravel drive. Corinne had never experienced a place that felt like the embodiment of peace. She accepted their invitation. Not out of obligation, but out of a sense of home she had long believed she would never know.