The autumn wind whipped through the wrought-iron gates of the Vale estate, carrying the hollow echo of cathedral bells.
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Chapter 7 / 10
Chapter 7 - THE RENEWED EMPIREWithin forty-eight hours, the legal fallout dismantled Mara’s entire network.
The forged marriage certificate was officially voided by the Putnam County Superior Court. The bogus will was thrown out, and the original, untainted 2022 testament was reinstated—leaving the entirety of Vale Maritime and the family estate where it belonged: with the children who actually loved him.
Mara was remanded to a maximum-security holding facility without bail, facing a minimum of twenty years for elder exploitation and federal wire fraud. Thorne was immediately suspended from the bar association pending criminal prosecution.
