Chapter 34 - The Broken Crown
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I returned to Madrid on a quiet Sunday afternoon. The autumn rain had given way to a clear, crisp sky, the sun casting long golden shadows over the city.
My first stop was my father’s estate.
The sprawling villa looked stripped of its former glory. The private security guards were gone, replaced by two court-appointed officers stationed at the front gate.
I walked into the sunlit study. My father was sitting in his leather chair, looking frail and old, staring out at the empty garden. The heavy oak desk was cleared of all papers, computers, and files.
He turned his head as I walked in. His eyes were red, filled with a deep, crushing remorse.
"Elena..." he whispered, his voice trembling. "You came back."
"I came to tell you that the foundation is clean, Dad," I said, standing near the doorway, keeping my distance. "Nicolás is safe. Valentin is going to prison for the rest of his life."
Rafael bowed his head, tears dripping onto his lap. "I am so sorry, my sweet girl... I ruined your life. I let that monster hurt you..."
"You made a choice thirty years ago, Dad," I said softly, my voice devoid of anger, left only with a profound, quiet sadness. "You chose power and money over truth. And I paid the price for your cowardice."
"Can you ever forgive me?" he choked out, looking up at me with pleading eyes.
I looked at the man who had raised me, the man I had idolized my entire life, and realized that forgiveness wasn't something I could give him today.
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"I hope you find peace, Dad," I said quietly. "But Nicolás and I are moving on."
I turned and walked out of the study, leaving the broken patriarch alone in his empty castle.
