Chapter 20 - The Unmarked Letter Delivered To The Main Line Estate
By late August, Marcus and Clara had returned to their renovated home in the suburban Main Line district of Philadelphia to start fresh.
The afternoon sun streamed through the kitchen windows as Marcus brewed fresh coffee while Clara worked on her book manuscript in the garden.
A postman stepped up to the front porch, dropping the daily mail into the bronze mailbox beside the mahogany front door before walking away.
Marcus walked out to retrieve the mail, finding routine bills, magazines, and a single thick envelope made of expensive cream parchment paper.
The envelope bore no U.S. postage stamp, no return address, and no recipient name printed on its smooth, heavy surface.
It was sealed with a circle of blood-red sealing wax, embossed with an intricate emblem of a serpent wrapped around an iron dagger.
Marcus opened the envelope using a silver letter opener, pulling out a single sheet of black paper written in striking white ink.
He read the elegant, terrifying message twice, his blood running cold as he realized the nightmare was far from over:
May you like
“Eleanor was merely a foot soldier in our global enterprise, Marcus... her silence in prison was purchased, but yours has not yet been requested.”
***
