Chapter 9 - The Trial of Ash
Three weeks later, winter finally loosened its grip on New York.
The front page of the *New York Times* sat on the rustic cedar dining table of the newly reclaimed Ravenscroft estate on Long Island:
**THE GHOST HEIRESS RETURNS: VICTOR VANCE INDICTED ON 42 COUNTS OF CAPITAL MURDER, FRAUD, AND TREASON.**
**CORINNA RAVENSCROFT RESTORED TO FAMILY TRUSTS AS EMPIRE CRUMBLES.**
The estate, which had sat abandoned and blackened for a decade, was already coming back to life. Construction crews worked quietly on the perimeter, clearing away the scorched timber and overgrown brush, while architects drew plans to restore the grand manor to its original splendor.
Wren stood on the edge of the terrace overlooking Long Island Sound.
She wore a simple cream-colored wool coat and boots that were brand-new, sturdy, and warm. Her golden hair danced in the brisk sea breeze, short and modern, brushing against the collar of her coat. She held a small velvet box in her hands.
A slow, steady step sounded behind her.
Adrian walked out onto the terrace. His left arm was held in a sleek black sling, his face still holding a trace of paleness, but the dangerous tension that had coiled around him for years had softened. He stood beside her, looking out over the slate-gray water.
"Your lawyers called," Adrian said quietly. "The federal receivership has released the remaining trust accounts. The land, the waterfront, the family foundation—it’s all yours, Corinna. Legally, fully, irrevocably."
She turned her head to look at him. "Corinna is the name on the legal documents, Adrian. But you're the only person who gets to call me Wren."
May you like
Adrian’s eyes softened with a warmth that belonged entirely to her. "I like Wren better anyway. It suits someone who knows how to fly through a storm."
Wren looked
