Chapter 17 - A Future Without Shadows
The expansion of my company eventually led me to open an office in New York.
I spent my time flying back and forth between my Chicago penthouse and Manhattan.
I was living the exact life my parents had always deeply resented me for having.
My mother's desperate letters from prison eventually stopped coming altogether.
I assume she finally realized that her manipulative tactics were entirely useless on me.
My father’s health reportedly declined rapidly during his time in the penitentiary.
The stress of losing his status and wealth had completely broken his spirit.
I received a generic notification from the prison warden about his heart condition.
I instructed Marcus to handle any necessary paperwork, keeping myself completely detached.
I refused to let their miseries drag me back into the dark pit of my past.
One evening, while walking through Central Park, my boyfriend proposed to me.
He didn't ask for a massive, flashy wedding to show off to high society.
He just wanted a quiet, private ceremony on a beach with our closest friends.
I said yes without a single moment of hesitation.
I realized that I was finally building the real family I had always desperately craved.
A family built on loyalty, honesty, and unconditional support.
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The Hayes name meant nothing to me anymore.
I was ready to take a new name and step entirely into my new life.
