Chapter 8 - The Clean SweepBy 2:00 AM, the Bel Air mansion was surrounded by federal marshals, moving trucks, and private auditors from Crawford Capital.
Gwen walked through the front doors, her black heels clicking against the pristine marble floors where Hazel’s blood had been spilled just hours before.
Thomas walked beside her, carrying a clipboard.
"The bank has finalized the asset seizure, Madam," Thomas reported. "Every piece of furniture, art, and vehicle registered to Spencer Albright now belongs to the Crawford Foundation."
"Donate the cars to charity," Gwen instructed calmly, walking into the grand living room. "Sell the artwork and put forty percent of the proceeds into a trust fund for child abuse victims in Los Angeles."
She stopped near the marble hearth where Hazel’s two baby teeth had fallen.
A team of professional cleaners was already scrubbing the floors, but Gwen raised her hand, stopping them.
"Tear out these marble floors," Gwen commanded softly. "Remove every tile, every wall panel, and every piece of glass in this house. Burn the furniture."
Thomas nodded respectfully. "Consider it done, Madam. What about the mansion itself?"
"Demolish it," Gwen said without hesitation. "Build a private pediatric medical research clinic on this land. Name it the Hazel Crawford Center."
She walked toward the small storage room beneath the staircase where she had spent six years hiding her tears. She looked at the loose floorboard where her old red string bracelet had lay.
May you like
She picked up a discarded piece of the string, held it in her hand for a moment, and then tossed it into a nearby trash bin.
The quiet, meek girl who entered this house six years ago was dead. The empire had returned.
