I placed the unopened letter back on the table.
“Please have it returned.”
Harrison nodded.
“Of course.”
He picked up the envelope.
Then he paused.
“Do you ever think about what might have happened if Silas hadn’t visited you that final afternoon?”
I looked toward the windows.
“Sometimes.”
“He believed he’d already won.”
“Yes.”
“And then he gave you the very information that exposed him.”
I smiled faintly.
“That was always Silas’s weakness. He couldn’t resist making someone else feel powerless.”
Harrison nodded.
“Your father would be proud of how you’ve rebuilt everything.”
I looked down at my hands.
For years, I’d believed that love meant overlooking mistakes.
That loyalty meant making excuses.
That forgiveness required accepting behavior that hurt me.
I’d confused patience with strength.
And I’d mistaken charming words for genuine character.
Silas had taken advantage of those beliefs.
He’d taken my trust, damaged my reputation, and nearly destroyed my father’s legacy.
