Chapter 7 - The Safe Haven
While my dedicated team worked around the clock to build the ironclad federal case, I took a brief leave to drive to the private, high-security rehabilitation clinic where Mom had been admitted. It was a beautiful, serene facility surrounded by lush gardens and ancient oak trees, a stark and welcoming contrast to the dark, suffocating prison Marcus had cruelly created for her in her own home.
When I walked into her sunny, spacious suite, I was relieved to see she wasn’t wearing that heavy, dreadful woolen sweater anymore. She was dressed in a soft, breathable cotton gown, her fragile skin carefully treated with soothing medical ointments to heal the bruises.
“How are you feeling today, Mom?” I asked softly, pulling up a chair and sitting closely beside her bed.
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“Safe,” she breathed out, a genuine, albeit weak, smile finally touching her lips. “I honestly never thought I’d feel safe again in this life.”
I gently reached out and held her hand, being extremely careful not to press on the fading ligature marks around her wrists. “We’re getting all your money back. Every single penny. And Marcus and Sylvia are staying behind bars. They can’t hurt you anymore.”
