Chapter 45
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The following Tuesday, Emily arrived at her office to find a thick, official-looking envelope sitting in the center of her desk. The return address belonged to a high-powered federal defense attorney in Washington D.C.
Nathan walked into the office a moment later, holding two cups of coffee, and noticed Emily staring at the envelope.
"Is everything okay?" Nathan asked, setting the cups down.
"It's from Daniel's new legal team," Emily said, her voice completely devoid of emotion. She picked up a silver letter opener and sliced the envelope open.
She unfolded the heavy parchment paper and read the brief, formal letter.
"Daniel is up for a transfer to a lower-security federal facility in upstate New York," Emily summarized, tossing the letter onto the desk. "His lawyers are requesting that I sign a 'statement of non-objection'. They are claiming that because five years have passed, and he has been a model inmate, a transfer would be appropriate for his rehabilitation."
Nathan’s jaw tightened. "Are they offering a concession? An apology?"
"They are offering absolutely nothing," Emily scoffed, a cold, detached amusement replacing any lingering anxiety. "He still believes he is entitled to my compliance simply because he asks nicely through an expensive lawyer."
"What do you want me to draft in response?" Nathan asked, ready to unleash a barrage of legal rejections.
Emily looked at the letter, then looked at the small, heavy-duty paper shredder sitting quietly in the corner of her office.
"I don't want you to draft anything, Nathan," Emily smiled, a profound, absolute sense of liberation washing over her.
She picked up the letter, walked over to the corner, and fed the heavy parchment directly into the shredder. The machine whirred loudly, instantly turning Daniel’s demands into meaningless strips of confetti.
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"He doesn't get a response," Emily stated firmly, turning back to her husband. "He doesn't get my anger, he doesn't get my legal arguments, and he certainly doesn't get my signature. He gets absolutely nothing. He is a ghost, Nathan. And I am done talking to ghosts."
Nathan smiled, a look of immense, profound respect in his eyes. He walked over, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her deeply. Daniel Whitmore had finally, truly, lost all power.
