e Hensl

ruin. I walked through the dusty rooms, each shadow holding a memory, each empty space an echo of laughter and life. My father's studio, where the scent of oil paint and t

sperately missed. His favorite armchair, worn smooth by years of contemplation. His spectacles, res

compartment. Inside, nestled amongst old letters and dried flowers, was a small, locked wooden box. Curiosity warred with

transactions, land deeds, and property transfers related to the gallery. Dates. Names. Signatures. They painted a devastating picture: a systematic, deliberate campaign to undermine my father's business, to d

trated. My mother-in-law, Caleb' s mother, had meticulously planned the downfall of my family. The forc

w grief. This wasn't just about Caleb's cruelty anymor

detective I'd heard good things about, giving him the documents an

iss Hensley, you need to get to the old Hensley estate immediat

My childhood home. No. Not that. I grabbed my keys, my

where my parents had their wedding reception. The sun-drenched studio where my father had painted his masterpieces. The secret nooks where I'd

facade, their jaws tearing into the heart of my past. "Stop!" I screamed, my voice hoarse, rush

a flicker of surprise, then something akin to concern, in his eyes. He star

l this 'dangerous'?" I held up the documents, crumpled in my hand. "Did you know, Caleb? Did you know your mother engineered all of this? My f

he wanted a new beginning, a blank canvas for our future. A place to build our home." He gestured vaguely at the crumbling mansion

ith a 'memorial'? You think you can replace a lifetime of memories with your sterile, soulless concrete? Never!

just an old building. Sentimentality is so... passé. Caleb is offering you a fresh start. A clean slate. You should be

wrecking ball swinging toward the last in

ward, desperate to stop it, t

window, a masterpiece designed by my great-grandmother, shattered into a million glittering fragments. The wal

a strength born of pure fury, I launched myself at her, my hands flying, slapping her,

ing with a terrifying, murderous rage. "You bitch! Don't you dare touch her!" He s

d beam, had struck me. Blood bloomed rapidly on my shirt. But Caleb didn't

s a desperate rasp, barely aud