Chapter 10 - The Unbroken Thread
The sun was setting over the hills of the Berkshires, casting a golden, amber glow over the stone walls of the Moretti estate.
Adelaide sat on the wide stone porch, a warm cup of tea resting on the table beside her, watching Elena run through the grass with a golden retriever puppy, their laughter echoing across the quiet valley.
Mateo sat beside her in a matching wooden armchair, holding her hand, their fingers tightly intertwined.
“I received a letter from the warden at Danbury today,” Adelaide said quietly, breaking the peaceful silence.
Mateo turned his head, looking at her with quiet attention. “Evelyn?”
“Her final appeal was rejected,” Adelaide reported smoothly. “She will serve the remaining seven years of her sentence. Chloe’s application for early work release was also denied.”
“Do you want to see them?” Mateo asked softly.
“No,” Adelaide said, turning her face to look into her husband’s dark, loving eyes. “I have nothing left to say to them. Their world is small, dark, and filled with bitterness. My world is right here.”
Mateo smiled, leaning over to press a soft kiss against her temple, right at the start of the jagged scar.
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“You built this world, Adelaide,” he whispered against her skin. “You took the broken pieces of a cruel family and turned them into a fortress of truth and love.”
“We built it together, Mateo,” she corrected gently, resting her head against his shoulder. “You held out your hand when I was in the dark, and you gave me the courage to step forward.”
