Chapter 6: The Small Town Haven
While Arthur prepared the legal defense in the city, Victor decided to take Lily away from the media circus beginning to gather outside his home. He drove north to the small mountain town where Catherine had lived her final years—a quiet township named Willow Creek.
They arrived late in the afternoon. The air was crisp, scented with pine and woodsmoke. Small, brick-fronted shops lined the main street, a stark contrast to the cold, towering marble of his mother's world.
Victor walked into a small local bakery holding Lily's hand. Behind the counter stood an older woman with silver hair and a warm apron. As soon as her eyes landed on Lily, her breath caught.
"Dear Lord..." the woman whispered, wiping her hands on her apron. "You... you look just like Cat."
Victor stepped forward gently. "You knew Catherine?"
"Knew her?" The woman’s eyes welled with tears. "She lived in the cottage down by the creek. She worked here with me when she was strong enough. She spoke about her husband—about a man named Victor—every single day."
May you like
The woman walked out from behind the counter, kneeling down to Lily's eye level. "Hello, sweet pea. I’m Sarah. Your mama was the softest, kindest soul this town ever knew."
Victor felt a knot in his chest loosen. For years, he had lived in an echo chamber of lies, told that Catherine was a gold-digger who threw their love away. Here, in this humble bakery, her true memory was alive and untainted.
