Chapter 9 - The New Beginning
The ocean breeze blew gently through the open windows of our new living room.
Sophie was sitting on the plush rug, happily drawing pictures of the beach with her new crayons.
The scar on her forehead had faded to a barely visible white line.
More importantly, the fear that used to haunt her eyes had completely disappeared.
We were safe, we were wealthy, and we were entirely free from the chains of my family's cruelty.
I poured myself a cup of warm tea and sat on the porch to watch the sunset over the water.
I had full legal custody, and a judge had issued a permanent restraining order against every living member of my bloodline.
David’s letters from prison were immediately intercepted and destroyed by my security team.
The media had finally moved on to the next big scandal, leaving us to live our lives in perfect peace.
I felt a profound sense of victory, knowing I had protected my child from the wolves.
I walked back inside to unpack the final cardboard box from our move.
It was a dusty box of old books and trinkets that belonged to my late grandfather.
I smiled as I pulled out his favorite leather-bound journal.
He was the only person in my family who had ever shown me true kindness.
I opened the journal to read his final thoughts, expecting to find words of wisdom or love.
I flipped to the very last page, which was dated just two days before his sudden death.
May you like
The handwriting was erratic, shaky, and deeply stained with what looked like dried blood.
I began to read the final paragraph, and my smile slowly vanished.
