Chapter 4: Severing Ties
The following weeks were a storm of legal paperwork and media management. Julian moved swiftly and mercilessly. Victoria’s arrest had made the local tabloids, but Julian’s high-powered legal team ensured that the narrative remained tightly controlled. Victoria tried to paint herself as the victim of a stressful household, but the police photos of the iron room, Lily’s medical records, and Clara’s bruised face were damning.
Julian filed for divorce the very next morning. He stripped Victoria of her access to his accounts, cancelled her credit cards, and filed a restraining order that kept her five hundred yards away from Lily and Clara at all times. Faced with the threat of severe prison time for child abuse, Victoria’s lawyers quickly advised her to sign the divorce papers quietly and take a minimal, heavily restricted settlement just to stay out of jail. She vanished to Europe, a disgraced socialite fleeing the ruins she had created.
Julian didn't care where she went, as long as she was gone.
His priority was his home. He took an indefinite leave of absence from his role as CEO, passing the daily operations to his trusted board. For the first time in years, Julian was home for breakfast, home for lunch, and home for dinner.
However, the Harrington estate—once a symbol of Julian’s success—now felt like a mausoleum. Every time Lily walked past the kitchen, she visibly shrank in on herself, her eyes darting toward the hallway where the iron door was located. Julian had hired contractors to tear the door out and brick over the room entirely, but the psychological scar remained.
One evening, after reading Lily to sleep, Julian found Clara in the library, organizing some books.
"We're moving," Julian announced quietly from the doorway.
Clara looked up, surprised. "Moving, sir?"
"Please, Clara. It's Julian. And yes. This house is poisoned. Lily isn't healing here. I've bought a property in upstate New York. Lots of land, horses, fresh air, and absolutely no iron doors." He walked into the room, his hands in his pockets. "I want you to come with us."
Clara blinked. "As... as a maid?"
May you like
"No," Julian said firmly. "As family. As Lily’s governess and guardian. I trust you with her life, Clara. I want you to manage her schooling, her schedule, and just... be there. Name your salary."
Clara looked overwhelmed, her eyes welling up. "Julian... I'd be honored."
