Chapter 28 - Burning the Page
I folded the letter neatly, placed it back into the envelope, and walked over to the copper fire pit on the back patio where the embers from the previous night were still warm.
Evelyn followed me silently, stepping out into the crisp morning air. She stood beside me as I struck a wooden match, held a flame to the corner of the paper, and dropped the letter into the glowing coals.
We watched in silence as the flames licked up the edges of the heavy prison paper, turning Eleanor’s final, bitter words into curling black ash that drifted up into the clear southern sky and vanished on the wind.
"What did she say?" Evelyn asked softly, her arm wrapping around my waist.
"Nothing that matters anymore," I replied, pulling her close against my side. "She’s still living in a prison of her own making. She thinks blood is a weapon. She never understood that it's just a starting point."
Evelyn smiled, resting her head against my shoulder as we watched the last spark fade into the ash. "Your grandfather was right, Marcus. The curse is broken."
At that exact moment, the back screen door flew open with a loud bang, and two five-year-old boys came barreling out onto the patio, their backpacks half-zipped, arguing fiercely over who got to sit in the front seat of the car on the way to school.
"Mom! Dad! Noah took my dinosaur eraser!" Leo yelled, pointing an accusing finger at his twin.
"Did not! It was on the floor!" Noah shot back, grinning mischievously.
May you like
Evelyn laughed, stepping away from me to scoop both boys into a chaotic, laughing hug before bundling them toward the car.
I stood on the patio for a moment longer, looking out over the sunlit gardens of the estate. The past was burned away. The empire was rebuilt. And our future was standing right there in the driveway, waiting for us to drive them to school.
