Faith
The legal team was unanimous: following the emotional scene in the library, Dr. Vance had requested an informal observation period. She recommended a brief, secluded family getaway—a chance to see how we functioned without the pressing noise of public relations, staff, and security teams.
Three hours later, a sleek black SUV carried us down the winding coastal highway toward the Sutton family’s private estate in Maine.
The estate sat atop a jagged cliff overlooking the North Atlantic. Unlike the rigid, towering grandiosity of Sutton Manor, the coastal house was built of weathered cedar shingles, wide stone fireplaces, and floor-to-ceiling glass wrapping around the ocean view. The constant, rhythmic roar of crashing waves filled the air, washing away the suffocating tension of the
