The first thing I saw was the bottom of the staircase, thirty-two polished marble steps gleaming like white teeth under the chandelier.

That evening, after the guests had departed and the sun began to set over the Atlantic coast, I walked out onto the stone terrace of the Meridian Center.

The air was soft and warm, smelling of ocean salt and blooming jasmine.

I leaned my cane against the stone balustrade and stood entirely on my own strength, looking out at the orange and purple horizon where the ocean met the sky.

Agent Vance walked out onto the terrace, carrying two glasses of sparkling apple cider. He handed one to me and leaned against the railing.

"What's next for Clara Hale?" he asked with a gentle smile. "The FBI task force is going to miss having our best technical analyst."

I took a sip of the cider and smiled, watching the waves crash against the shoreline below.

"Helix Meridian just secured a contract with the United Nations to build open-source tracking software for missing children," I said. "We're going to make sure that no foundation, no orphanage, and no corrupt family can ever erase a child's name again."

"Adrian would be incredibly proud of you," Vance said softly. "You built something extraordinary out of the ruins."

"Adrian taught me how to build the tools," I said, looking up at the evening stars beginning to appear in the darkening sky. "But the strength to use them... that came from remembering who I was before Vivian tried to erase me."

I looked down at my left wrist.

The gray plaster cast was gone, replaced by a silver watch my father had given my mother on their wedding day—a watch I had finally recovered from Vivian’s estate after the trial.

I walked toward the stone staircase leading down to the garden.

Thirty-two steps carved from smooth granite.