The heavy oak front doors finally slammed shut, cutting off Evelyn’s screaming voice once and for all[cite: 1]. The house fell into a deep, peaceful quiet, the ticking of the grandfather clock in the foyer the only sound remaining in the air[cite: 1].
Edgar stood near the master bedroom doorway, staring at the messy bed with the ripped white satin sheets, his face buried in his hands as he let out a long, shaky breath[cite: 1].
Edgar: I can't believe my own mother was capable of something so evil...
Chloe: Greed turns people into monsters, Edgar[cite: 1]. She was so blinded by that twenty-five million dollars that she forgot what actually matters in life[cite: 1].
Edgar: If you hadn't looked through that door crack... if you hadn't been so smart and switched the rooms... you would be dead right now.
Chloe: But I am alive[cite: 1]. And so are you[cite: 1]. That's all that matters[cite: 1].
Edgar walked over to Chloe, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and pulling her close against his chest[cite: 1]. He rested his forehead against hers, tears shining in his eyes[cite: 1].
Edgar: I'm so sorry, Chloe. I'm so sorry I didn't see how cruel she was being to you all these years.
Chloe: It's over now, Edgar[cite: 1]. She will never touch either of us ever again[cite: 1].
Edgar: Tomorrow morning, I'm calling our divorce lawyer and our estate manager. We're stripping her name completely off every single trust fund, property deed, and family account.
Chloe: What about the mansion[cite: 1]?
Edgar: We're selling it. Every single square foot of it. We'll take the money and donate half of it to wildlife protection and victim support funds, and start fresh somewhere far away from here.
Chloe: That sounds like a wonderful plan[cite: 1]. A real fresh start[cite: 1].
Edgar kissed her forehead gently, holding her tightly in the soft moonlight of the hallway[cite: 1]. The dark shadow that had loomed over their lives for years had finally been lifted, destroyed by the very trap meant to break them[cite: 1].