Chapter 10 - Epilogue
One year later.
The bright Florida sun warmed my face as I sat on the wooden deck of our new beachfront home.
The federal government had allowed us to keep a small, legal portion of the recovered funds as a reward for our cooperation.
It was more than enough to completely start over under new names in a beautiful, quiet town.
I sipped my iced tea, watching Leo run along the shoreline with a golden retriever puppy we had adopted the previous month.
He looked like a normal teenager again, laughing brightly as the dog chased a frisbee into the crashing waves.
The heavy, dark shadows that had haunted his eyes a year ago were entirely gone.
He didn't have to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders anymore; he just got to be a kid.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the matte titanium card, turning it over in my fingers.
The billions were gone, returned to the authorities or frozen in international courts.
But I kept the card as a fierce reminder of the unimaginable strength we possessed.
Leo ran up the wooden steps, shaking sand out of his messy hair and grinning widely.
"Are you ready for lunch, Mom?" he asked, completely out of breath.
May you like
"I am ready for anything, Leo," I smiled, tossing the titanium card into the trash can beside me.
I wrapped my arm around my brave, brilliant son, and we walked into our beautiful, safe new life.
