Chapter 14 - The Name on the Stone
Three weeks later, the morning air was crisp and clear as Arthur and Blair walked hand-in-hand through the gates of a quiet hillside memorial park in New York.
Jax and Clara stood respectfully fifty yards back, keeping watch over the private grounds. Clara now wore the gold badge of County Chief of Police, having been appointed interim administrator to clean out the department’s remaining corruption.
Arthur stopped before a polished white marble monument carved with a simple inscription: Catherine Sterling — Beloved Daughter, Unbroken Spirit.
Blair knelt carefully, placing a bouquet of fresh white lilies at the base of the stone. She tilted her head, tracing the carved letters with her fingertips.
""Did she look like me?"" Blair asked quietly.
Arthur pulled a silver locket from his pocket and opened it, revealing an old photograph of Catherine laughing on a sailboat, the wind tossing her hazel curls. ""You have her eyes, little one. And her courage.""
Blair leaned her head against Arthur’s knee. ""We're not going back to that town, are we?""
""Never,"" Arthur promised, resting his hand gently upon her shoulder. ""Your home is with me now. A place with gardens, open fields, and windows that never lock.""
Blair smiled—a real, radiant smile that completely transformed her small face, wiping away the ghosts of the wire crate and the cold shed.
May you like
As they turned to walk back toward the waiting car, Jax’s phone rang. He listened for three seconds before stepping forward to intercept Arthur, his expression darkening.
""Mr. Sterling,"" Jax said in a low voice. ""We have a problem at the state penitentiary.""
