Chapter 8 - The Awakening of Greystone
Three months passed.
The transition within the Romano empire was swift and absolute. Viktor took over internal security, purging the remaining corrupt officers Marcus had planted. The shipping terminals were audited, cleaned, and reorganized under transparent management. For the first time in decades, the Romano corporation operated without a single shadow of betrayal hanging over its head.
The Greystone mansion underwent a complete transformation. The heavy velvet curtains that had blocked out the sunlight for years were replaced with light linen drapes. The walls, once bare and intimidating, were now adorned with framed fingerpaintings of green snakes, blue cats, and lopsided houses signed in wobbly crayon letters by Zoe Williams.
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Adrien no longer ate alone. Every evening, dinner was a lively affair where Zoe insisted on sitting in the chair right next to "Uncle Adrien," regaling him with stories about her teddy bear's adventures in the garden. Adrien listened to every word with total fascination, occasionally asking serious, deadpan questions about Bear’s tactical readiness against imaginary backyard squirrels, causing Grace to laugh until she cried.
The staff had stopped walking on eggshells. Laughter echoed through the corridors, and the old boot room—once a cold, neglected space—now held a small basket of child-sized boots right beside Adrien’s polished Oxfords.
