Before leaving, an officer informed her that Nolan was being taken into custody on suspicion of offenses related to the assault on the children.
Victor’s conduct would also be investigated, including his physical confrontation with Serafina and his role in bringing the men to the property.
The officers explained that further charges and court decisions would depend on the evidence.
Serafina nodded.
She wanted accountability.
She didn’t need anyone to promise her a particular outcome.
As she helped Leo into the car, she saw Nolan standing beside a patrol vehicle.
He looked at her with naked hatred.
“This isn’t over,” he muttered.
Serafina stopped.
For a moment, the old habits urged her to stay quiet.
Then she shook her head.
“No,” she replied.
“It isn’t.”
And she turned away.
That evening, after the children returned from their medical examinations, Serafina sat at the kitchen table with Eva.
The house was quiet except for the low sound of a television in the living room, where Mrs.
Alvarez was sitting with Mia and Leo.
Serafina’s wrist had been examined as well.
It was sprained, and the doctor had advised her to rest it.
Eva looked exhausted.
“How are the kids?”
“Physically, they’re going to be okay.”
“And otherwise?”
Serafina stared at the table.
“Leo won’t let me out of his sight.
Mia keeps apologizing because she couldn’t stop Nolan.”
Eva’s expression softened.
“I’m sorry.”
Serafina shook her head.
“I should have realized Victor would go this far.”
“You took reasonable precautions.
You informed the school and made arrangements for the children.”
“He still got through the gate.”
“He knew the code.”
“I should have changed it.”
Eva reached across the table.
“Serafina, you can review every decision you made and find something you wish you’d done differently.
That doesn’t make you responsible for what those men chose to do.”
Serafina looked toward the living room.
“I never want them to be afraid in their own home again.”
“Then we’re going to deal with the immediate safety issues first.”
Together, they reviewed the steps already underway.
The gate codes had been changed.
Victor and Nolan were barred from the property.
The children’s school had updated its instructions, and Eva would seek court orders to restrict further contact.
Mrs.
Alvarez had provided her account of the incident.
More importantly, the home’s security system had recorded a substantial portion of what occurred on the lawn.
Serafina hadn’t remembered the cameras.
When Eva told her the footage existed, she closed her eyes in relief.
“It shows Nolan holding Leo down,” Eva said.
“It also shows Mia trying to intervene and being pushed.”
“And Victor?”
“He’s visible.
So is your attempt to separate Nolan from the children.
The camera angle doesn’t capture every second, but it supports the central events.”
Serafina breathed out slowly.
Nolan could claim whatever he wanted.
Victor could invent whatever excuse sounded convenient.
But this time, the truth did not depend on who spoke loudest.
Eva continued, “There’s something else we need to discuss.”
Serafina looked up.
“The financial investigation.”
“Yes.”
Eva placed a folder on the table.
“The investigators have received the records we preserved.
The company needs to protect its assets while they examine the transfers.
The proposed restructuring is not moving forward without your signature, and we’ve taken steps to challenge any unauthorized activity.”
Serafina nodded.
“What about the emergency reserve?”
“That’s going to take work.”
“How much can we recover?”
“We don’t know yet.”
Serafina looked at the folder.
The missing money mattered for reasons that had nothing to do with Victor’s wealth or Nolan’s ambitions.
It belonged to people who had trusted the company to honor its promises.
She thought of the injured driver whose wife needed treatment.
She thought of the widows Daniel had insisted on protecting.
Then she thought of the employees who still reported to work every morning despite rumors that the company was in trouble.
“We can’t wait for the criminal case to finish before helping those families,” she said.
Eva nodded.
“Then we’ll have to identify lawful funding sources, reorganize the available assets, and make the assistance program properly accountable.”
“Can we do that?”
“Not overnight.”
Serafina looked toward the living room.
“Then we start tomorrow.”
Eva gathered the papers.
Before leaving, she hesitated.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“What did you mean when you told Nolan he was about to die?”
Serafina lowered her eyes.
For several moments, she didn’t answer.
Finally, she said, “I was angry enough to want him dead.”
Eva remained silent.
“I saw him holding Leo down,” Serafina continued.
“I saw Mia fall.
And I wanted Nolan to be as frightened as he’d made them.”
She looked up.
“But when Enzo asked what I wanted done, I realized I had a choice.”
Eva waited.
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