Chapter 16: The Echo Fades
Time possesses a unique ability to smooth the jagged edges of trauma. Three years slipped by, marked by quarterly earnings reports, successful gallery exhibitions, and quiet Sunday mornings in the loft.
During a routine Monday briefing, Marcus lingered after the other executives had left the boardroom. He cleared his throat, a rare display of hesitation.
"Eleanor, I received a notification from our legal counsel. Given his good behavior and participation in work programs, Julian's parole hearing was successful. He's being released next month to a halfway house."
Eleanor paused her typing and looked up. She waited for the familiar spike of anxiety, the old knot of fear in her stomach. It never came.
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"Thank you for letting me know, Marcus," she said, her voice perfectly level. "Please ensure security protocols at our buildings remain standard. Aside from that, it doesn't concern us."
Marcus offered a small, approving nod and left the room. Eleanor looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the bustling city below. Julian was returning to the world, but he was returning to a world where he had zero power over her. The ultimate revenge wasn't his destruction; it was her complete and total apathy.
