Chapter 19 - THE CLEAN SLATE
Three months later, the federal investigations concluded with a sweeping, historic indictment that cleaned house from local municipal offices all the way to state senatorial seats. The Janus syndicate was completely dismantled, its assets permanently seized by the Department of Justice and partially redirected to establish an independent trust fund for victims of corporate fraud. Caleb, serving his sentence in a federal correctional facility while cooperating fully with investigators, sent one final, handwritten letter to Grace and Katherine—not asking for forgiveness, but expressing a quiet, sorrowful peace that he had finally stopped running from the truth. Grace and Katherine didn't stay in Oakhaven Springs or the surrounding towns. They packed their bags one final time and drove across the state line toward the open coast, leaving the shadows of weddings, secrets, and burning cabins far behind in the rearview mirror.
