Chapter 13: Letters from the Abyss**
One evening, Thomas sat in his home study going through the mail. Among the foundation reports and architectural blueprints lay an envelope stamped from the maximum-security women's correctional facility in Bedford Hills.
It was from Victoria.
He opened it. The handwriting inside was shaky, desperate, and filled with bitter regret:
> *Thomas,*
> *The isolation here is suffocating. The concrete walls never end. Every time the lights go out at night, all I hear is the sound of that shovel hitting the mud and that boy screaming at the edge of the pit. I don't expect your forgiveness. I know I am damned. But please tell Lily... I am sorry.*
Thomas stared at the letter for a long moment. He did not feel burning rage anymore; he felt only pity for a soul so consumed by wealth that she had thrown away her humanity.
May you like
He walked over to the stone fireplace, held the corner of the paper to the crackling hearth, and watched it turn to gray ash, letting the last remnants of past hatred drift into the night sky.
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