Chapter 5 - The Vale Estate
Three days later, the hospital officially discharged Sadi and Maisie.
Because the state investigation into Darlene was ongoing, CPS required the children to be placed in an approved temporary foster environment. Given Grant’s vast resources, background clearance, and personal petition, the court granted him emergency temporary custody of both girls.
A sleek black limousine pulled up the long, winding driveway of the Vale Estate, located on a private fifty-acre property overlooking the snowy hills of upstate New York.
Sadi sat near the window, clutching Maisie in her lap. As the car passed through massive iron gates, Sadi’s eyes widened.
The estate was breathtaking. A grand, stone manor house stood surrounded by pine trees covered in heavy snow. Warm light spilled from dozens of arched windows, casting a golden glow across the white lawn.
The car stopped, and the driver opened the door.
Grant stepped out first, extending his hand to help Sadi down. "Welcome home, girls."
When Sadi walked through the front double doors, she stopped dead in her tracks. The grand foyer featured a towering Christmas tree decorated with silver and gold ornaments, a roaring fireplace that warmed the entire hall, and soft Persian rugs beneath her feet.
A kindly, middle-aged woman in a warm knit sweater stepped forward, smiling warmly.
"Sadi, Maisie, this is Mrs. Gable," Grant introduced. "She keeps this big house running, and she makes the best hot chocolate in the country."
"Welcome, little ones," Mrs. Gable said softly, kneeling down to Sadi’s eye level. "Your rooms are all ready upstairs."
Sadi held Maisie tighter. "Rooms? Plural?"
"You have your own bedroom, Sadi," Grant explained gently. "And Maisie has a nursery right next door, connected by a adjoining door that stays open all the time. You will never be separated."
Mrs. Gable led them up the grand wooden staircase to the second floor.
Sadi’s room was unlike anything she had ever imagined. It had soft yellow walls, a plush queen-sized bed covered in down pillows, a reading nook by the window filled with books, and a closet stocked with brand-new clothes, winter coats, and boots in her exact size.
Next door, Maisie’s nursery was painted in warm pastel colors, filled with soft plush toys, a wooden crib, and a changing table stocked with everything an infant could ever need.
Sadi stood in the doorway between the two rooms, staring at the luxury surrounding her.
"Is this real?" Sadi whispered, looking up at Grant, who was standing behind her. "Or am I going to wake up back in the snow?"
Grant dropped to one knee beside her. He reached out and gently brushed a strand of dark hair from her forehead.
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"It’s real, Sadi," Grant said, his voice thick with emotion. "You don't have to drag sleds anymore. You don't have to protect Maisie all by yourself. You’re safe here."
Sadi looked at the warm bed, then looked at Grant. For the first time since her mother died, the crushing weight on her eight-year-old shoulders began to loosen.
