Chapter 12 - THE BRICK FIREPLACE
A month later, it snowed in Chicago. A thick, quiet blanket of white covered the city. I sat in the living room of my house in Cicero. The front door was reinforced steel now, thanks to Dominic. A fire crackled warmly in the brick fireplace. I held David’s silver pocket watch in my hand, running my thumb over the engraved wolf. I hadn't torn down the bricks. I didn't need to. The knowledge that the money was there, that David had provided for me, was enough. I had my pension from Dominic. I had my paid-off house. I didn't need millions of dollars. I just needed peace. My phone buzzed on the coffee table. It was a text from Sofia. Hey Maria! Dad and I are going ice skating at Millennium Park. Do you want to come? We can get hot chocolate after! I smiled, typing back immediately. I would love to. I’ll meet you there in an hour. I stood up, placing the silver watch on the mantle, right next to a framed photograph of David. I put on the heavy green wool coat that Teresa Russo had given me all those years ago. The coat that had held the secrets of an empire. Now, it just kept me warm. I locked the door behind me and walked out into the snow, my heart lighter than air. The past was finally in the past. And the future was entirely mine.
