Three months passed after that dramatic afternoon at the mansion.
The trial moved quickly through the county courthouse system.
David pleaded guilty to all charges of corporate fraud and forgery.
He accepted a five-year prison sentence without filing an appeal.
The grand white mansion was placed on the public real estate market.
All proceeds were directed into a court trust fund for Marcus Vance.
Leo rented a small two-bedroom apartment near the local college campus.
He worked two part-time jobs to pay for his own tuition fees.
He visited his father in the regional facility every Sunday afternoon.
Their conversations were quiet, honest, and filled with slow healing.
On a bright Saturday morning, Leo drove up to Vermont.
The care facility sat on a peaceful hill surrounded by green trees.
Marcus Vance sat in a wooden chair near the garden fence.
His hair was snowy white, but his eyes were calm and clear.
Clara stood beside her brother with a gentle smile on her face.
She waved as Leo walked up the gravel garden path.
Leo: Good morning, Uncle Marcus.
Marcus: Hello young man, you look just like your grandfather.
Leo sat down on the wooden bench beside his uncle's chair.
He brought a photo album filled with old family pictures.
Together, they turned the thick pages under the warm sunlight.
Marcus pointed at an old black-and-white picture of a lake cabin.
Marcus: I remember fishing at that lake when I was young.
Clara: We can go back to that lake this summer, Marcus.
Leo: I would love to drive you both there myself.
Marcus looked at Leo with a warm, approving expression.
Marcus: You are a good young man, Leo Miller.
Leo: Thank you, Uncle Marcus. I am trying my best.
Clara placed her hand on Leo's shoulder from behind the bench.
The anger that had filled her heart for decades was gone.
She no longer needed to hide behind a masquerade mask.
The truth had set both of their families free from the dark past.
They watched the sun shine bright over the green Vermont hills.
A fresh chapter was finally beginning for all of them.