Chapter 15
Two weeks passed. The Carter estate had settled into a new, heavily fortified routine. The bright, cinematic lighting of the mansion felt less like a pristine display and more like a sanitized fortress. Clara was recovering well under the constant care of the medical staff and Marissa's attentive supervision. She was sitting up in bed, holding a wide-awake Noah, when Daniel walked into the suite.
He looked impeccable, dressed in a sharp, tailored navy suit, though the lines of exhaustion were faintly visible around his eyes. He had been managing a full-scale turf war with the Moretti family while simultaneously running the legitimate aspects of his empire.
"He has your eyes," Daniel smiled, kissing Clara's cheek and gently stroking Noah's soft hair.
"And your stubbornness," Clara teased lightly, enjoying the rare moment of peace.
Daniel pulled a chair close to the bed. His expression turned serious. "Clara, I need to discuss the holding cells."
Clara tensed slightly, instinctively pulling Noah closer to her chest. She had not asked about Evelyn or Victor since she woke up. She knew they were locked away, but the reality of their existence was a dark cloud hanging over the estate.
"What about them?" she asked quietly.
"They have been in isolation for fourteen days," Daniel stated, his voice devoid of any pity. "I have completely dismantled their financial networks and isolated their loyalists. They have nothing left. I need to know what you want me to do with them."
Clara looked at her husband. She remembered the freezing cellar, the dirty water, the agonizing pain of her torn stitches, and the sheer, unadulterated cruelty of Evelyn laughing at her suffering. She remembered Victor dragging her across the concrete.
"I don't want them in this house anymore," Clara said, her voice surprisingly steady, lacking the fragility of a victim. "I don't want to breathe the same air as them."
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Daniel nodded slowly. "I can have them relocated to a secure, permanent facility offshore. They will be comfortable, but they will never leave, and they will never contact the outside world again."
"No," Clara said, her eyes hardening. "I don't want them comfortable. I want them gone, Daniel. I want them completely erased."
