Chapter 17 - The Unlocked Vault
The following week, Mark returned to the Palm Beach villa, which had been seized by federal authorities and put up for auction.
Accompanied by a court trustee, Mark walked into the master study, stepping behind the heavy mahogany bookcase.
He brought five-year-old Lily into the room, holding her up so her hand could reach the digital scanner on the wall safe.
Lily pressed her thumb against the glass screen, which chimed softly before flashing a bright green light.
The heavy steel vault door opened with a pneumatic hiss, revealing Sarah's original research binders and personal journals.
Sitting atop the binders was a small, velvet-lined box containing Sarah's diamond wedding ring and a handwritten note.
Mark picked up the note, reading his late wife's familiar handwriting through a blur of quiet tears:
"To my brave Mark and my sweet Lily... if you are reading this, the truth has set us free."
May you like
"Live your lives with love, honor, and joy. The nightmare is finally over."
---
