Chapter 3: The Messenger in the Garden**
The morning sun broke through a thick blanket of gray clouds. Arthur walked the grounds of the estate, scanning the perimeter. Lily was playing near the rose garden, watched closely by her mother, when Arthur noticed the estate’s head gardener, Thomas—an elderly man who had tended the grounds since Arthur was a boy.
Arthur walked over. "Thomas."
The old man stopped pruning the hedges and took off his cap. "Good morning, Mr. Arthur."
"Yesterday, Lily saw someone touch the portrait in the foyer," Arthur began gently. "Someone who looked like they were delivering flowers."
Thomas’s weathered hands tightened around his pruning shears. He didn't meet Arthur's eyes. "A lot of deliveries come through on memorial days, sir."
"Thomas, you’ve known me my whole life," Arthur said quietly. "If there’s something I need to know about my father, tell me."
Thomas exhaled a long, ragged breath and looked toward the grand house. "Your father was a powerful man, Arthur. But when power makes a mistake, it builds walls instead of bridges. The man who brought that note was Marcus Green."
The name struck Arthur like a cold draft. "Marcus Green? Dr. Green’s son?"
"Yes," Thomas whispered. "The man your father drove out of the city when the clinic closed. Marcus came back because his father passed away last week. He told me he just wanted the Sterling family to finally see the truth."
May you like
Arthur stood motionless as Thomas pulled a small brass key from his pocket and handed it over. "Marcus left this for you. He said it opens Box 414 at the downtown depository. He said the choice to open it is yours, but running from it won't keep your own daughter safe from the Sterling curse."
---
