Chapter 7 - Healing the Estate
Returning to the Wescott estate felt less like coming home and more like entering a crime scene, but over the next three weeks, the heavy, oppressive atmosphere began to lift.
Talia returned to her duties with a quiet, unshakeable authority that even Owen Pike respected. She restructured the entire household staff, replacing Maren’s sycophantic loyalists with vetted professionals who understood that children required warmth and attention, not rigid corporate compliance.
Adrian changed, too. He canceled two major board meetings in New York to stay home, spending hours sitting on the nursery floor with Milo while the boy learned to crawl. He watched, fascinated and humbled, as Talia taught Milo how to clap his hands, laughing at the bright, infectious sound that echoed through the once-silent halls.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and painted the tall estate windows in shades of gold and amber, Adrian walked into the kitchen.
Talia was standing by the large porcelain sink, washing a set of baby bottles. The sleeves of her blouse were rolled to her elbows, just as they had been on that terrible afternoon.
Adrian leaned against the doorframe, watching her for a moment in silence.
"You know," Adrian said quietly, "you're still using the kitchen sink."
Talia paused, looking over her shoulder with a slight, knowing smile. "It's the best height for sterilizing the parts properly. And besides..." She turned back to the water, her expression softening. "Some things work better than the official manuals."
Adrian walked over, stopping a few feet away. "The prosecutors called today. Maren’s defense attorney tried to file for a psychiatric evaluation, but the judge threw it out. Her trial date is set for next month."
Talia turned off the tap, drying her hands on a clean kitchen towel. She looked at Adrian, seeing the last vestiges of his old paranoia finally melting away.
"Are you ready for it?" she asked gently. "The trial?"
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"I am," Adrian nodded. "For a long time, I thought protecting Milo meant building walls around him—keeping everyone out so I wouldn't get hurt again. But I realize now that wasn't protection. It was a cage." He paused, looking directly into her eyes. "Thank you for not letting me lock him away from the world, Talia."
Talia didn't answer with words. She simply offered him a warm, steady smile—the kind of smile that made the cavernous, echoing mansion finally feel like a home.
