Chapter 7 - A Shared Pain
The media caught wind of the scandal within forty-eight hours, and the story exploded across the internet.
Facebook timelines and news channels were flooded with the dramatic tale of the billionaire, the evil housekeeper, and the homeless hero.
People were completely outraged by Cordelia's horrific actions and demanded justice for the little girls.
Julian used his immense wealth and power to launch a massive investigation into Cordelia's past employments.
His private investigators discovered that this was not her first time running this exact scam.
She had targeted three other wealthy, grieving families over the last decade, siphoning millions of dollars through fake grocery invoices.
Julian personally contacted the other families, uniting them into a massive, unstoppable legal force.
Meanwhile, life inside the Ashford mansion was blooming into something beautiful.
Sarah had slowly removed the strict menus, letting the girls eat pizza, ice cream, and messy spaghetti.
Julian found himself leaving work early just to come home and sit in the garden with them.
One afternoon, Julian found Sarah sitting alone on the patio, staring out toward the wild ravine.
"You look far away," Julian said softly, sitting down in the chair next to her.
Sarah smiled a sad, painful smile.
"I was just thinking about how fast everything changes," she whispered.
"A week ago, I was freezing in the mud, and now I am living a dream."
Julian looked at her carefully, realizing he still knew almost nothing about her past.
"How did you end up out there, Sarah?" he asked gently.
"You are so smart, so kind."
Sarah took a deep breath, and a single tear escaped her eye.
"I had a daughter once," she confessed, her voice breaking.
May you like
Julian's heart stopped.
"Her name was Lily," Sarah continued, looking down at her hands.
