Chapter 10 - The New Life
Six months later, the morning sun reflected beautifully off the ocean waves.
We were relocated to a quiet, stunning coastal town in Maine.
The FBI had given us brand new names, new social security numbers, and a beautiful house.
Mark got a boring, incredibly safe job at a local hardware store.
I started working remotely for a small digital marketing agency.
Chloe was absolutely thriving at her new middle school.
She had made wonderful friends and completely moved past the trauma of that horrific day.
Veronica and her cartel associates were all sentenced to federal prison for life.
The syndicate was entirely dismantled thanks to the digital ledger Mark provided.
We spent our weekends building sandcastles on the beach and eating ice cream on the porch.
There were no more secrets, no more burner phones, and no more fear.
I finally had the perfect, peaceful life I had always wanted for my family.
Mark walked into the kitchen and kissed me softly on the cheek.
He handed me a fresh cup of coffee and smiled.
He said he was going to walk Chloe to the bus stop before he went to work.
I watched them hold hands as they walked down the sunny driveway.
My heart was full of absolute gratitude and endless love.
I turned around to clean up the kitchen counter and pack Chloe's leftover snacks.
I opened her spare backpack to wash out her plastic lunchbox.
I found a folded piece of paper secured with heavy tape at the bottom of the bag.
May you like
I pulled it out and ripped the tape off with trembling fingers.
The handwritten note simply read, "I know where you live now."
