Chapter 19 - The Ash Settles
Months passed without a single whisper from the mainland.
The dead-man’s switch had worked. His mother’s empire continued to operate in the shadows, but they had completely severed ties with Liam. They had essentially declared him dead to protect their own interests.
It was the greatest gift she could have ever given him.
Lily thrived. She made friends at school, she learned to swim in the shallow, sun-warmed coves, and the nightmares that used to wake her screaming in the night completely vanished.
One evening, Liam sat on the porch, watching the sun dip below the horizon. The sky was a brilliant tapestry of violet and gold.
He held a small, cheap disposable phone in his hand. It was the only line of communication left to his old life, the trigger for the data release.
He looked at the phone for a long time.
May you like
Then, he stood up, walked to the edge of the cliff, and threw the phone as far as he could into the crashing ocean below.
He didn't need the insurance anymore. He was free.
