Norman pressed his forehead gently against mine.
“Everything with Rivers Biotech happened so suddenly. Your father barely had time to respond. The last email he sent me was just thirty minutes before he died.
“I was ready to return the moment I got the news. But unfortunately, the heir of the Carter family at the time discovered my identity. He saw me as a threat to his position and sent people to intercept me.”
“He had me beaten to the brink of death…” Norman’s voice darkened, trailing off.
I hesitated before asking softly, “Ware you badly hurt?”
Norman let out a bitter laugh, the corner of his lips twitching with self–mockery. “I suffered a head injury. When I woke up, my mental capacity was reduced to that of a five–year–old.” Ridiculous, isn’t it?”
I looked straight into his eyes, their dark depths holding nothing but unfiltered sincerity.
At that moment, the promises and the strength of the boy I’d once known came flooding back with startling clarity.
After a few beats of silence, I reached out and took his hand. “Ash, thank you for coming back for me.”
H
He blinked, momentarily stunned, his dark eyes quickly filling with a mixture of emotions.” Violet-”
Some words didn’t need to be spoken; they were understood without sayi
hing
Norman went on to explain the contents of the email my father had sent him. It mentioned something cryptic:
mer
“The last fruit grows in the secret corner of the garden.”
“From everything I’ve pieced together,” Norman continued, “I’m almost certain your father managed to secure critical evidence. But the circumstances forced him to hide it somewhere safe, where it couldn’t easily be found. Violet, do you know where this secret corner of the garden might be?”
Of course, I knew.
It was a spot my father and I had dug out together, one shovel of soil at a time. How could I forget?
I led Norman back to my childhood home in a rush. Together, we unearthed a USB drive from
overgrown corner of the abandoned yard.
the
The contents were earth–shattering–evidence that implicated some of the most powerful
