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The solid oak door didn't just open; it shattered into a million jagged splinters, flying across the bathroom tiles like shrapnel. / Chapter 10 / 10

Chapter 10 - A New DawnSix months later.

The morning sun rose over the jagged peaks of the Rocky Mountains, casting a golden glow across a sprawling, secluded ranch estate surrounded by miles of pristine pine forests.

I stood on the wide wooden porch, holding a steaming mug of black coffee in my right hand. My left arm, though still carrying a faint titanium plate and a few surgical scars, moved freely, completely healed and strong.

Inside the house, the muffled sound of classical music played softly, accompanied by the low rumble of my father's voice talking strategy on a secure satellite phone.

I looked down at my wrist. The bruises were long gone. The fear was entirely erased.

I wasn't a victim hiding behind a locked bathroom door anymore. I was a survivor, surrounded by men and women who would tear the world apart to keep me safe.

My phone buzzed on the wooden railing beside my coffee mug. I picked it up and saw an encrypted text message from an unknown, unlisted number—a number that didn't exist in any directory on Earth.

It contained only three words:

May you like

The heavy mahogany door of the dressing room seemed to close in on us, trapping the suffocating tension inside. Richard’s hands were shaking as he clutched the small, tarnished silver pendant. His knuckles were bone-white.

The heavy mahogany door of the dressing room seemed to close in on us, t...

The heavy silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering sharply against the gold-rimmed porcelain of my dinner plate.

The heavy silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering sharply agains...

The heavy mahogany door of the Fairmont Copley suite clicked shut with a muffled, expensive thud.

The heavy mahogany door of the Fairmont Copley suite clicked shut with a...

“Package delivered. Case closed.”

I smiled, took a long sip of my coffee, and watched the mountain wind sweep through the pines, knowing that for the first time in my life, I was completely, truly free.

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