Chapter 21 - A Sealed Document Delivered From The Prison Infirmary
On a chilly foggy morning in late November, a certified legal courier delivered a sealed wax envelope to our front gate. The package originated from the medical wing of the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility where Diane was serving her life sentence.
Inside rested an ancient silver locket containing a photograph of Mark as an infant, alongside a yellowed birth certificate. Attached to the back was a handwritten letter from the prison chaplain containing a revelation that made Mark’s blood run ice-cold:
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“Diane was diagnosed with terminal heart failure this morning, Mark. Before she lost consciousness, she swore under oath that you aren't a Sterling... and that your real biological father is alive and waiting in London.”
Mark slowly dropped the document onto the wooden porch table, staring out into the dense fog roll over the quiet ocean...
