Chapter 10 - The Last Walk in the SunThree weeks later.
The morning sun broke warm and golden over the rolling green hills of Vermont, burning the last stubborn patches of autumn frost off the grass.
Outside a small, white-washed farmhouse with blue shutters, an old Cane Corso lay stretched out on the wooden porch, his chin resting between his paws as he watched a flock of sparrows dip across the lawn. His breathing was slow, heavy, and completely at peace.
Down the gravel driveway, a black sedan pulled up and parked by the mailbox.
Chloe stepped out of the driver's seat, holding a thick stack of morning newspapers under her arm. Her face was flushed with the healthy glow of country air, her eyes bright and unburdened by the ghosts of the past.
As she walked up the wooden steps, Raphael stepped out through the screen door, holding two mugs of steaming black coffee. He wore a simple flannel shirt and worn denim jeans—no prison grays, no numbers, no chains. Just a free man standing on his own land.
"Headline?" Raphael asked, handing her a mug.
Chloe smiled, dropping the top newspaper onto the porch table. The bold black banner headline read:
FEDERAL COLLAPSE: DOJ CORRUPTION SCANDAL WIDENS AS SPECIAL PROSECUTOR APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE."They're all resigning, Dad," Chloe said softly, leaning her head against his shoulder as they looked out over the endless green horizon. "Whitlock is talking to federal investigators in exchange for a reduced sentence. The whole house of cards came down in forty-eight hours."
Raphael took a sip of his coffee, looking down at Duke, who gave a lazy, contented thump of his tail against the floorboards.
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"Let them talk," Raphael said quietly, putting his arm around his daughter’s shoulders. "We’ve got places to be."
From the open doorway, the soft morning breeze carried the sound of birdsong and rustling leaves—the sweetest, most unbelievable sound in the world: the sound of a completely ordinary, quiet morning that belonged entirely to them.
