Chapter 14
Five years passed.
Elsie was twelve.
Geneva remained in prison.
Dominic was released under supervision.
No contact with known criminal associates.
Financial monitoring.
No role in charitable organizations.
No private security around Elsie without court approval.
Clara testified in the last related financial trial and then stepped fully out of public proceedings.
The Belloro Christmas Foundation became a smaller independent charity with no Belloro family control.
The giant mansion was sold.
Elsie did not miss it as much as adults expected.
She missed the idea of it.
That was different.
Dominic rented a plain house with a narrow staircase and no ballroom.
Clara stayed in the townhouse.
Elsie had two rooms now.
One with Clara.
One with Dominic.
Both parents attended her school winter concert.
They sat three seats apart.
Not hostile.
Not healed.
Appropriate.
After the concert, Elsie handed Dominic a paper ornament she made in class.
Then handed Clara another.
They both said thank you.
Elsie rolled her eyes.
“You’re both being weird.”
Dominic almost laughed.
Clara did.
That helped.
Later, Elsie asked Dominic:
“Did you ever love Mommy more than your business?”
He answered slowly.
“I thought I did.”
“That’s not yes.”
“No.”
She nodded.
Then asked Clara:
“Did you ever think the case mattered more than me?”
Clara looked at her daughter.
“I told myself the case was how I got back to you. Some days, I hid behind that.”
May you like
Elsie nodded again.
She was old enough now to know that true answers hurt less than pretty ones.
