Chapter 20 - The Unbroken Circle
Years later, when travelers drove along the winding, tree-lined roads of Greenwich, they would occasionally catch a glimpse of Sterling Manor through the wrought-iron gates—a grand estate bathed in sunlight, surrounded by miles of immaculate, vibrant rose gardens.
Local gossip still whispered about the reclusive billionaire tycoon who ran a global empire yet spent his afternoons gardening with his children. Some said he was a dangerous man who had tamed the underworld; others said he was simply a devoted father who had torn down an empire just to keep his family safe.
Neither rumor mattered to the man walking down the gravel path.
Evan Whitaker wore a simple faded denim shirt, heavy work boots, and a baseball cap pulled back against the autumn breeze. In his right hand, he carried a pair of pruning shears, trimming the dead stems from a cluster of prize-winning English roses.
A few yards away, a fourteen-year-old girl with bright, confident eyes sat on the lawn sketching in a thick notebook, while an eleven-year-old boy ran past carrying a weathered, well-loved brown rabbit with a very distinct blue-threaded ear.
Grace walked down the terrace steps, carrying two mugs of hot coffee, stopping beside Evan as he snipped a final thorny stem and let it fall to the dirt.
“You missed a spot over by the eastern trellis,” Grace teased gently, handing him a mug.
May you like
Evan took the mug, wrapping his calloused fingers around the warm ceramic, and looked out over the sprawling, sunlit estate where his children were laughing in the open air.
“Never miss a spot, Grace,” Evan smiled, pulling her close against his side as the afternoon sun dipped low over the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant shades of gold and amber. “The garden is finally clean.”
