Chapter 3: The Cold Truth
The hardest part wasn't the legal battle; it was the psychological recovery of Leo and Sarah. For three years, they had lived in a world of whispers and shadows. They hadn't seen the sun in weeks; their sense of time had been warped by a woman who used darkness as a tool for obedience.
Thomas sat with them every night, relearning the shape of their lives. He learned about the secret languages they had developed, the way they played games using only shadows on the wall, and how they had kept each other alive through sheer, stubborn willpower.
"She said you didn't want us," Sarah whispered one evening, her eyes wide as she traced the patterns on the bedspread. "She said you chose work over us, and that’s why you didn't look for us."
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"That was the greatest lie of all," Thomas replied, his heart breaking into a thousand pieces. "I spent every single day looking for you. I never stopped."
He realized then that the vengeance he craved wasn't enough. He needed to dismantle her. He didn't just want her in prison; he wanted the public to see the hollow shell of a woman who had tried to build a kingdom on the graves of children who weren't even dead.
