Chapter 9 - The Long Road to Healing
Three months passed.
The autumn leaves in Oakhaven Springs had turned into brilliant shades of red, gold, and orange, coating the garden paths where a wedding had once taken place.
The news of Harrison Vance’s arrest had sent shockwaves across Virginia. The silver flash drive, combined with a comprehensive investigation launched by the State Attorney General's Office, uncovered a massive web of corruption, bribery, and corporate fraud spanning over a decade. Harrison Vance was denied bail, facing trial on multiple felony counts, while the university posthumously cleared Camille Dubois’s name, restoring her honors degree and establishing a scholarship fund in her memory.
Despite the resolution of the legal nightmare, the scars within the family home remained deep.
Nathan had moved out of the main house, taking a small, quiet apartment near his work site in Richmond. He spent his weekends attending counseling sessions, working through the unresolved grief of Camille's death and the deep remorse over his actions on his wedding night.
Élise had remained at the house with Marguerite and Henri.
She spent her days tending to the greenhouse, working on her architectural drawings, and slowly rebuilding her shattered sense of self under the warm, unwavering protection of Marguerite’s love.
One chilly Sunday afternoon, Marguerite was sitting on the front porch, wrapping a wool shawl around her shoulders while watching Élise prune the rose bushes in the yard.
A blue sedan pulled quietly into the gravel driveway.
Nathan stepped out of the car. He looked thinner, his hair neatly cut, wearing a simple wool sweater. He held a small wooden box in his hands.
Élise stopped her work, standing up straight, her pruning shears resting in her hand. She did not run away, nor did she look afraid.
Nathan walked slowly up the garden path, stopping ten feet away from her.
"Hello, Élise," Nathan said softly, his voice humble and quiet.
"Hello, Nathan," she replied gently.
Nathan looked down at the wooden box in his hands, taking a deep, steadying breath.
"I came to bring you this," Nathan said, stepping forward and setting the box on the wooden bench beside her. "It's the official decree from the county court. The marriage annulment was finalized yesterday morning. You are legally free from me, Élise."
Élise looked at the wooden box, then up into Nathan's eyes.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"I also went to Richmond yesterday," Nathan continued, his voice trembling slightly. "I visited Camille's mother. I gave her the official letter from the university clearing Camille's name... and I told her about you. I told her how brave you were to stand up to your father."
Tears welled in Élise's eyes, shining like diamonds in the afternoon sun. "What did she say?"
"She cried," Nathan whispered, a tear escaping his own eye. "And she asked me to give you this."
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Nathan reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, delicate silver necklace holding a tiny pressed daisy inside a clear glass pendant—Camille’s favorite flower.
"She wanted you to have it," Nathan said, extending his hand. "She said Camille would have wanted her best friend to finally live without shame."
