PART 22 — THE SUNSET
PART 22 — THE SUNSET
Weeks turned into months. The trials were swift. The evidence was undeniable. Ethan remained in prison, his sentence extended. Brandon joined him in federal lockup. Margaret was stripped of her assets to pay massive fines and spent the rest of her days under house arrest in a small, empty apartment. The Prescott name was gone. Erased from high society. A cautionary tale. Emily and I sat on the porch of my house. The North Carolina sunset painted the sky in shades of gold and purple. Just like the sunsets she used to describe to me over the satellite phone when I was deployed overseas. She held a cup of tea. I held her hand. “You know,” Emily said softly. “When I was trapped in that house, I used to pray for an army to save me.” I squeezed her hand. “And what did you get?” She looked at me. A fierce, beautiful smile crossed her face. “I got you.” The wind rustled through the oak trees. The war was truly over. The silence was no longer heavy with threats. It was filled with peace. Because in the end, it was never about power. It was never about money or connections. It was about a promise. A promise made the day she was born. No one touches my daughter. No one.
