“He left.”
That was enough.
The years passed.
The children built lives.
Careers.
Families.
Meanwhile, the Pierce empire began to crack.
Not publicly at first.
But quietly.
The way large structures weaken before anyone notices.
Poor investments.
Failed acquisitions.
Family disputes.
Legal troubles.
By the time Daniel reached seventy, he was no longer the untouchable man who had walked out of my hospital room.
He was wealthy.
