Chapter 6: A Home Reclaimed
Back at Sterling Manor, the morning had brought a transformation.
Tom had called in the city's finest tailors, doctors, and educators to attend to Helen and Leo. Yet, despite the luxury surrounding them, Helen remained grounded in quiet simplicity. She politely declined the extravagant silk dresses, opting instead for a modest, comfortable wool sweater and trousers.
In the sunlit conservatory, Leo was seated at a low table, happily eating a plate of freshly made pancakes drizzled with pure maple syrup. For the first time in his young life, he was not rationing his food or worrying about the next meal.
"Mr. Tom?" Leo called out, wiping maple syrup from his chin with the back of his hand.
Tom, who had been watching him with a gentle smile, walked over and knelt beside the table. "Yes, Leo?"
"Is this house a castle?" Leo asked innocently. "And are you a king?"
Tom let out a rich, genuine laugh—a sound the walls of Sterling Manor had not echoed in twenty years. "No, buddy. It’s not a castle, and I’m definitely not a king. It’s just a home. And starting today, it is your home too."
"Can I play in the garden?" Leo pointed toward the sprawling meadow outside, where golden retriever puppies from the estate kennels were bounding through the grass.
"You can play anywhere you like," Tom replied, ruffling the boy’s soft brown hair. "The whole world is open to you now."
Just then, Samuel entered the conservatory, his expression tense as he held a silver tray bearing a formal legal notice.
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"Mr. Sterling," Samuel spoke quietly. "Officers from the Manhattan Central Precinct have just arrived at the front gates. They carry a warrant for Miss Helen’s arrest, filed by the Kensington Hospitality Group, alleging grand theft of a diamond brooch."
Helen’s face drained of color, her hand instinctively reaching out for Leo.
