Chapter 9 - A FINAL CLEARING
Three years later.
It was a quiet Tuesday morning.
I sat in my corner executive office at Mitchell Holdings, reviewing the final blueprints for our new pediatric medical facility in downtown Chicago.
A knock sounded on the mahogany door.
Victoria Sterling stepped in, carrying a thin legal envelope.
“Got a minute, Claire?” Victoria asked softly.
“Always,” I said, setting my pen down. “What is it?”
Victoria sat down across from me and placed a document on the desk. “Gavin Vance’s legal team filed an emergency petition for early parole on medical grounds last week.”
I raised an eyebrow, entirely unbothered. “And?”
“Judge Calloway rejected it in three minutes,” Victoria smiled. “Furthermore, the state prison board has transferred him to a maximum-security facility in Southern Illinois following his attempts to contact media outlets. He will serve every single day of his thirty-five-year sentence.”
I looked at the document on the desk for a brief second, feeling no hatred, no desire for vengeance, and no lingering pain. Gavin Vance was a ghost—a small, pathetic shadow from a life I had long since outgrown.
“And Tessa?” I asked gently.
“Tessa was released on parole last month,” Victoria reported. “She’s working at a small floral shop in Ohio under her maiden name. She lives quietly. Her probation officer says she hasn't tried to contact you or the media once.”
I nodded slowly. “Good. I hope she finds peace.”
Victoria looked at me with deep admiration. “You really have forgiven everything, haven't you?”
“I haven't forgotten, Victoria,” I replied, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window at the vibrant city below. “But holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Gavin tried that on me for ten years. I prefer to live.”
May you like
Victoria stood up, smiling warmly. “You’re a remarkable woman, Claire. Oh, by the way... David is waiting downstairs in the lobby. He said something about taking you to lunch at L’Orangerie.”
I smiled, a genuine, joyful light dancing in my eyes. “Tell him I’ll be down in five minutes.”
