The Connecticut estate looked different in spring sunlight. What had once felt like a fortress now felt like a home—a place where Eddie could crawl across Persian rugs without armed guards watching from the shadows, where Sterling and I could have dinner without wondering if our conversations were being monitored, where Eleanor could tend her gardens without checking for surveillance equipment hidden among the roses.
Phoenix Legacy's network had been systematically dismantled over the intervening months. Damian—whose real name was indeed Viktor Kovalenko—was awaiting trial on multiple continents for crimes ranging from corporate fraud to murder. Thomas Worthington had regained control of his family's company. Sarah Chen was rebuilding her shipping empire. Michael Kowalski had established
