Chapter 22 - The Unmarked Wooden Box
It was a crisp autumn afternoon three months later when a heavy postal truck pulled up to the estate's iron security gates.
The private security guard inspected a small, unmarked wooden box left by an anonymous courier before bringing it to Alexander.
Alexander placed the wooden package on the center of the library table, looking down at its rough, untreated grain.
Clara stood nearby, watching with cautious curiosity as Alexander used a small silver blade to pry open the lid.
Inside rested an old brass pocket watch with a cracked glass cover and a handwritten note scrawled on dark blue stationery.
Alexander unfolded the paper, reading the chilling message written in elegant, sloping ink: "The wheel never stops turning, Alexander."
"A new council has already taken root in Washington, and they are waiting for you to lower your guard."
Alexander stared at the note, his jaw tightening as a cold realization washed over him like a sudden winter wave.
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The battle for power in America was an endless war, and the shadows were already reaching out toward their next target.
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