Richard closed the laptop, his hands shaking with a mix of grief and fury. He picked up his phone and dialed his head estate lawyer, Arthur Vance.
Arthur: Richard? I just received a notification from the court registry. What's going on at the estate?
Richard: Arthur, Evelyn was just arrested for child abuse. She tried to harm Lily in the hallway.
Arthur: What?! Is Lily okay?!
Richard: She's safe with me now. But Arthur, I just found a flash drive Clara hid in the wall safe before she died.
Arthur: What was on the drive?
Richard: Proof that Evelyn forged her entire background. Proof that she married me under a stolen identity to steal Lily's trust fund.
Arthur: Send those files to my secure email immediately, Richard! If this is authentic, we can freeze all her offshore assets and file for an emergency annulment today!
Richard: I'm sending them right now. I want her stripped of every title, every asset, and every right to ever set foot in this city again.
Arthur: Consider it done. The district attorney will add corporate fraud and identity theft to her felony charges by this afternoon.
Richard ended the call and walked back over to the sofa, sitting down beside Lily. He pulled his daughter into his arms, kissing the top of her blonde head while she cradled the plush bear.
Lily: Is the bad lady gone, Daddy?
Richard: She's gone forever, Lily. She can never hurt you again, I promise.
Lily: Can we go see Mommy's garden outside?
Richard: Yes, sweetie. We can go wherever you want.
An hour later, Richard arrived at the pediatric medical center in downtown. Dr. Sarah Jenkins spent forty-five minutes carefully examining Lily's scrapes and bruises, applying soothing cream to her small arms.
Dr. Jenkins: The physical scrapes will heal completely in a few days, Mr. Sterling. But she will need plenty of love and reassurance to heal from the emotional trauma.
Richard: She will have all the love in the world, Doctor. I'm taking time off from the firm to stay home with her every single day.
Dr. Jenkins: You're a good father, Richard. She's lucky to have you protecting her.
As they walked out of the hospital clinic into the warm afternoon sunshine, Richard felt a heavy weight lifting off his chest. The dark cloud that had hovered over their mansion for months