Dr. Harvey Reed finally came out with a tired smile.
“The operation was a complete success,” he announced.
Recovery was long and difficult, but for the first time in three years, Annie woke to find both of her parents in the same room.
Victor did not pressure Catherine to forgive him, and he did not rush reconciliation.
Every morning, he sat with her, took her to physical therapy, and walked Annie to school, while also turning every piece of evidence over to the authorities so the guilty would face justice.
The financial director was arrested, Leon’s estate was seized to fund restitution, and Maris resigned from the company, spending her remaining years in a small apartment while trying to make amends through humble service.
Rebuilding trust was harder than anything else, harder than any business battle or legal victory.
One afternoon, months later, Catherine sat in the garden of their home, the same garden she had once been forbidden to enter.
