Chapter 6 - The Race against the Shredder
Alexander and Marcus, backed by a court-ordered sheriff's deputy, arrived at the Hale estate. The massive house was eerie, mostly emptied of its grandeur. Stripped walls, rolled-up carpets, and empty boxes littered the halls where his children used to play.
Caroline was there, sitting on a packing crate, supervising a private shredding company that had set up a industrial machine in the driveway.
"Alexander," Caroline said, standing up, a smirk playing on her lips. "You're trespassing on marital property. My lawyers told me you have no right to be here."
"We have a search warrant for the children's personal belongings, Mrs. Hale," the sheriff's deputy stepped forward, displaying the paperwork.
Caroline’s face flashed with a momentary panic, her eyes darting toward a heavy black trash bag sitting right next to the shredder.
Alexander didn't hesitate. He lunged for the bag. Caroline grabbed the other side, her perfectly manicured nails digging into the plastic, ripping it open. A cascade of children's drawings, old school papers, and a small, pink glittery notebook tumbled onto the asphalt.
"Give that to me!" Caroline shrieked, reaching for the pink notebook.
The deputy stepped between them, pinning Caroline's arm back. "Step back, ma'am."
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Alexander picked up the notebook. He opened it to the first page. In Emma’s messy, third-grade handwriting, the text read: 'May 14th. Dad is away in Chicago. Mom took Oliver's dinner away because he cried. I gave him my crackers in the closet so she wouldn't see.'
Alexander looked at Caroline, his eyes filled with a cold, absolute disgust. "It's over, Caroline. You're never going to hurt them again."
