Chapter 9 - The Empty Estate
By Sunday evening, the Mercer estate was silent once more.
The white orchids had been hauled away by recycling trucks. The valet stands were gone. The caterers had packed their vans and vanished into the night.
In the master study, Dominic sat alone in the dark, staring out the window at the eastern cottage. Through the warm glow of the windows across the lawn, he could see Natalie and Noah sitting at the kitchen table, sharing a bowl of soup, laughing about something ordinary and small.
The digital terminal on his desk chimed softly.
A notification from federal prosecutors in Boston: Asset recovery complete. Julian Harrington’s assets frozen under RICO statutes. Extradition warrant issued for Zurich.
Dominic closed the terminal window.
The house was big again. It was cold again.
But as the wind rustled through the ancient oak trees outside, carrying the scent of approaching autumn rain, Dominic felt something he hadn't felt in years.
Peace.
May you like
He reached down, picked up his mother’s silver pocket watch from the desk, and wound it twice. The steady, rhythmic tick-tock echoed through the empty room—a reminder that some things, once broken by greed, could never be repaired, but the foundations left behind were strong enough to endure.
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