Chapter 9 - The Fortress of Glass
The Sterling Manor sat upon a high bluff overlooking the Atlantic, surrounded by twelve-foot stone walls topped with razor-wire security sensors. To the world, it was an architectural triumph of limestone and glass; to Elena, it was a fortified slaughterhouse.
Inside the nursery on the third floor, Marianne stood beside a mahogany crib, watching Leo sleep. The infant's breathing was steady, oblivious to the monstrous machinations revolving around his crib.
Arthur Bradley stood at the doorway, clutching an open laptop. ""The probate judge has signed the preliminary conservatorship order based on Vance’s official autopsy filing. The financial transfer commences at 9:00 AM on the child's birthday.""
""And the burial site?"" Marianne asked without turning around.
Bradley swallowed hard. ""Thomas has disappeared. His estate vehicle was abandoned near the old quarry. We sent two men to verify the plot at Blackwood Cemetery.""
Marianne turned her head slowly, her cold eyes fixing on the attorney. ""And?""
""The earth was disturbed, Marianne. The crate was broken from the inside. She's gone.""
Marianne didn't scream. She didn't throw an object. A dreadful, calm smile curled the corners of her lips, making Bradley step back involuntarily. ""The girl was always remarkably stubborn. Just like her father.""
""We should notify the authorities! Say she's an escaped lunatic—""
""No,"" Marianne cut him off sharply. ""If the public or the trust overseers discover Elena is alive, the conservatorship is halted instantly. She has nowhere to go. No money. No documents. She is legally a corpse.""
Marianne walked to the crib, running a single cold finger down Leo’s soft cheek. The infant stirred uncomfortably.
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""Double the private perimeter guard,"" Marianne ordered. ""Authorize lethal force for any trespasser. If Elena Sterling steps foot onto these grounds, do not call the police. Kill her, burn the remains, and scatter the ashes in the sea.""
Down below on the darkened beach, just beyond the sweeping beams of the estate's high-intensity searchlights, two figures emerged from the breaking surf.
