Chapter 21 - The Unopened Letter**
The peaceful morning routine was interrupted when the local mail carrier delivered a thick, registered letter from Boston.
The envelope bore the official seal of the Massachusetts Probate Court and was addressed directly to Ethan Miller.
Ethan sat at his kitchen table, opening the envelope with a silver letter opener while Maya drew pictures at the counter.
Inside was a single page of heavy parchment paper and a small, antique brass key attached to a black ribbon.
The letter was written in the neat, elegant handwriting of his late wife, Sarah.
*My Dearest Ethan,*
*If you are reading this letter, it means the secondary protocol has been activated by the federal court.*
*I knew that Richard Reed would stop at nothing to take Maya's trust, but there is something I never had the courage to tell you in person.*
Ethan felt his hand tremble as he read the next line printed on the parchment.
May you like
*The Vance Mining Trust isn't just a financial fund, Ethan... it's a key to something buried beneath our old home.*
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