[CONTENT TEMPLATE HERE]
Chapter 817:
Cole slumped in his chair, his hands falling to his sides, palms up and empty. He looked like a man who had been hollowed out with a spoon.
Easton collected the documents, checking each signature against Cole’s government ID and then against the notarized copies on file. He nodded once, satisfied.
“Perfect.” He slid the papers into a leather portfolio. June watched his hands, her own perfectly still. She didn’t look at the portfolio as though it contained a fortune, but as though it were a piece of evidence in a long-closed case. As Easton fastened the clasp, she spoke, her voice low and clear.
“Easton,” she said, without looking at Cole. “When it’s liquidated, I want it all funneled into a new foundation p>
Easton paused, his gaze meeting hers. He already understood.
“The Erickson-Compton Foundation,” June continued, her voice gaining strength. “Named for Vivian Erickson and Caleb Compton. Its sole purpose will be to fund research and provide free clinical treatment for complex PTSD and trauma recovery. It will be run through Apex Bio. His blood money will heal the very wounds he and his kind create p>
Easton gave a single, sharp nod of profound respect. “It will be done p>
𝖣𝘪sc𝗈𝘃e𝘳 h𝗶𝗱d𝖾𝗇 g𝘦𝘮ѕ 𝘰n
He turned his attention back to Cole, his expression once again unreadable. “With all documents signed, this is now an uncontested divorce. I will file these immediately. It typically takes the judge a few weeks to sign the final decree. During this administrative period, Ms. Erickson’s ex parte restraining order remains fully in effect. You are prohibited from approaching within five hundred feet of her person, residence, or place of employment. Any contact — direct, indirect, or through third parties — will result in immediate criminal detention p>
Cole’s throat moved. He said nothing.
June stood. She smoothed her jacket, adjusted her bag, and walked toward the door without looking back.
Easton followed. At the threshold, he paused and turned.
“The legal proceedings are concluded, Mr. Compton.” His voice was a flat, absolute void of emotion. “From this moment forward, to my client, you are nothing more than a closed case file p>
The door clicked shut.
The hallway outside the conference room was lined with marble and silence.
June’s heels struck the floor in a rhythm that matched her heartbeat. Steady. Unstoppable. Free.
“June p>
The voice came from behind her, barely audible, shredded by grief and distance. She did not slow. She did not turn.
“June, please p>
The elevator doors opened. Easton placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her inside. He turned, and for a moment his body blocked her view of the hallway.
She caught only a glimpse: Cole on his knees in the conference room doorway, one hand stretched toward her like a drowning man reaching for a rope that had already been cut.
The doors slid closed.
In the conference room, Cole collapsed completely. His forehead struck the carpet. His hands clawed at the fibers, finding nothing to hold. The sound that tore from his throat was not human — it was the sound of an animal being flayed alive.