Chapter 14: The Return to Avenue Montaigne
A year after the day their lives changed forever, Julien, Leo, and Theo walked down Avenue Montaigne.
It was another crisp autumn afternoon. Golden maple leaves littered the wet sidewalk, reflecting the glowing shopfronts of luxury boutiques. But this time, the boys were not standing in the cold with a cardboard sign, shivering in fear. They walked hand-in-hand with Julien, dressed in warm woolen overcoats, laughing as they ate roasted chestnuts from paper cones.
They stopped right outside the entrance of the high-end boutique where Julien’s car had once pulled up.
Leo looked down at the wet pavement, a reflective look washing over his young face.
"Dad?" Leo asked softly.
"Yes, Leo?"
"What would have happened if you hadn't gotten out of the car that day? What if you had just ignored us like everyone else did?"
Julien knelt down on one knee on the autumn leaves, placing a hand on each boy’s shoulder.
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"Then I would still be a very poor man living in an empty castle," Julien answered sincerely. "You didn't just ask for help that day, Leo. You saved me from spending the rest of my life in the dark."
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