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The Price of Innocence – A Trilogy of Betrayal, Redemption, and Justice
Elsie Cole thought love would bring her a better life—until betrayal shattered everything. Stripped of dignity and cast out, she fights to survive, desperate to protect her children from a fate worse than her own.
In the city, she claws her way back from nothing, but temptation and ghosts of the past lurk in every shadow. A new love offers hope, yet secrets she thought buried begin to resurface.
Now, her eldest son, Emmanuel, is on a quest for truth. As he uncovers the dark forces that destroyed their family, Elsie faces a reckoning of her own. Will justice prevail, or will the past consume them all?
A gripping saga of ambition, sacrifice, and the haunting price of innocence.

The Price of Innocence (Parts 1- 3)

Leo perfected the legal transfers

The next morning, Leo had a meeting with his lawyer. The office was secluded, and the final documents were on the table ready for signing. With a few strokes of his pen, Leo transferred the last of the Damian assets in the name of his mother. The empire that once belonged to Damian Cole was now owned by Madam Ebele Udeh.

Leo leaned back in his chair and a gracious smile crept over his face. "It's done," he said, in a voice full of triumph. "Everything is in place."

His lawyer nodded his head, expressionless. "And Elsie?"

The cold smile returned to Leo's face. "Elsie is of no concern anymore. She'll be handled."

Accounts of Elsie frozen

Later that day, Elsie was seated in the penthouse, on her laptop. She decided to check her accounts to relax her mind. But, as she attempted to log in, she saw an error message that read: "Account frozen. Please contact your financial advisor."

Panic rushed through Elsie's veins. She took a deep breath and tried again but to no avail. Trembling, she grabbed her phone and called her bank. "What do you mean my accounts are frozen?" she cried, her voice rising with panic.

"The assets in your name have been transferred to another party. I'm sorry Mrs. Cole, but your accounts are frozen pending investigation," said the calm but firm voice from the other end.

With that final statement, Elsie hung up. Just then, she felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. It couldn't be happening. Not now. Not after all of this.

Elsie exploded into Leo's office, her face aglow with rage and dread. "Leo!" she shot back, the tremor in her voice now beyond control. "What's going on? My accounts are frozen. My properties are gone. What did you do?"

Leo sat calmly, glass of whiskey perched on his knee, surveying the scene. "Elsie," he finally said, incisive and unemotional, "you were of utilitarian value, but your time is now up. Everything you thought was yours now belongs to my mother. You own nothing."

The words stuck to the delayed realization. Elsie's heart shattered. A moment of rage surged through her, the thought of the treachery coursed through her, but on the back of that, she felt a deep irretrievable loss. "How could you do this to me?" she blurted, almost hysterical.

Leo cut her off; standing up, he said, "You were a means to an end, Elsie. Nothing more. Now get out of my office before I have you tossed out."

Elsie stood staring at him as her mind reeled. She had trusted him, loved him, and he had taken everything away. She turned and ran out of the office with tears streaming down her face.

Chapter 19: The Ultimate Betrayal