Chapter 14 - The Master’s Legacy
Inside the study, Thomas sat at his large mahogany desk, illuminated by the warm glow of a single brass lamp.
He was reviewing a thick binder of legal documents forwarded to him by his former colleagues at the Department of Justice. The file contained the final forfeiture decrees for Julian’s former estate, Blackwood Manor.
The court had officially granted full ownership of the property to Rebecca as part of the victim restitution settlement.
Thomas picked up his silver fountain pen, flipped to the last page of the deed transfer, and signed his name in smooth, elegant cursive.
He had already arranged for a demolition crew to arrive at Blackwood Manor the following Monday. Every stone, every sheet of glass, every polished hardwood floorboard of that house would be torn down, ground into dust, and cleared away. The land would be donated to the state forestry reserve, turned into a public park where children could run freely under the open sky.
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Thomas closed the binder, stood up from his desk, and walked over to the sunroom window, looking out at his daughter sitting peacefully on the deck under the stars.
He knew that a father’s duty was not merely to fight his children's battles, but to teach them that they possessed the strength to survive any storm. Rebecca had not just survived; she had reclaimed her life.
