Chapter 19 - The Verdict of Time
The next morning, Marcus confirmed the news. Damon Harrison had turned himself into the federal authorities at the downtown courthouse at 9:00 AM. The charges included international wire fraud, money laundering, and grand larceny related to the offshore accounts he had hidden during our marriage.
Because of the extensive evidence we had gathered during the divorce, the federal prosecutors had an open-and-shut case. Damon had signed a plea agreement, accepting an eight-year sentence in a medium-security federal penitentiary.
He was truly gone. This time, by the hand of the law.
I sat in my office, looking at the news report on my computer screen. A mugshot of Damon was displayed—pale, gaunt, his eyes empty. The man who had once stood shirtless in my bedroom, laughing with my best friend, was now just a number in the federal system.
Owen walked into the room, holding two cups of coffee. He set one down on my desk and looked at the monitor.
"It’s finally over, isn't it?" he asked softly.
"Yes," I said, closing the laptop screen. "It’s over."
Owen stepped around the desk, pulling me up from the chair and wrapping his arms around me. I buried my face in his chest, letting out a long, deep breath. The last remnant of the fear, the last lingering shadow of the betrayal, finally dissipated into the warm air of the room.
"Nora," Owen whispered, lifting my chin so I had to look into his eyes. "I know we’ve taken things slow. And I know we’ve both been through hell. But I love you. And I love Clara as if she were my own daughter. I want to build a real family with you. No more secrets. No more past."
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I looked at him—at the honesty in his eyes, the steady, unyielding support he had given me for years. He wasn't a master of puppets. He wasn't an actor on a stage. He was just a good man who loved me.
"Yes," I whispered, tears finally blurring my vision—not tears of sorrow, but of profound relief. "Yes, Owen. Let's do it."
