Chapter 8 - The Munich Spring
Six months later, the spring in Munich was a spectacular explosion of green and gold.
The gardens of the Von Bernberg estate were filled with blooming tulips, and the air carried the sweet, crisp scent of the mountains. I sat on the terrace, watching Sophia and Chloe play with a young golden retriever puppy we had adopted from a shelter in the city.
Sophia’s laughter was loud and free, her face bright with a confidence she had never possessed in Scottsdale. She had been enrolled in a prestigious international school in Munich, where she was thriving in both her academic studies and her piano lessons. Chloe was already speaking fluent German, her small voice carrying a sweet, natural accent that made the household staff smile.
The glass doors of the terrace opened, and Maya Lin walked out, carrying a tray of fresh coffee and pastries. Maya had traveled to Munich with me, serving as my personal business advisor and helping me manage the transition of the new European projects.
"The reports from Arizona came in, Catherine," Maya said, sitting down in the chair beside mine. "David’s company has officially been rebranded as Bernberg Development. We’ve secured three new commercial contracts in Phoenix, and the company is already showing a fifteen-percent profit increase under our new management team."
"And David?" I asked, taking a sip of my coffee.
"He’s currently working as a mid-level leasing agent for a commercial property firm in Tempe," Maya chuckled. "He’s living in a small, two-bedroom apartment with his sister, Megan. His mother, Linda, had to sell her luxury SUV to pay off her remaining credit card debts, and they’ve been completely excluded from the country club. The 'Coleman legacy' is officially a thing of the past."
"And Allison?"
"She had the baby three months ago," Maya said, her voice turning serious. "A healthy boy. She named him Marcus Jr. She’s currently living in Idaho with her parents, and Marcus is paying court-ordered child support, though he’s currently facing his own legal battles for his role in the embezzlement at Coleman Development."
I looked out at my daughters, their golden retriever puppy chasing a butterfly across the green lawn.
I felt no anger toward David, or Linda, or Megan. They were just small, insignificant figures in the distant background of my life—people who had tried to measure my worth by what they could steal from me, only to discover that the real wealth had always belonged to me.
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"We’re doing a charity gala next month, Catherine," Maya said, tapping her tablet. "The Munich Children’s Hospital is looking for a major sponsor. I think it would be a perfect way to introduce the girls to the family's philanthropic work."
"Make it happen, Maya," I smiled. "And make sure the invitation is sent under the name Von Bernberg. I want the world to know exactly who we are."
