Chapter 9 - A New Legacy
Six months later.
The boardroom of Rollins Global was bustling with activity.
The company had not only recovered but was more profitable than ever.
We had launched a new initiative,
focused on ethical corporate governance.
I was the CEO now.
Thomas had retired,
happy to leave the company in my hands.
Justin was the Head of Operations,
having found a new passion for the family business.
He had divorced Maya,
who was now serving a three-year sentence for her part in the fraud.
I walked into my office and looked at the photo on my desk.
It was a picture of me and Justin on a hiking trip last month.
We both looked happy.
Truly happy.
There was a knock on the door.
"Ms. Rollins?"
my assistant said.
"Your 2:00 p.m. is here."
"Thank you, Sarah,"
I said.
I stood up and adjusted my jacket.
I felt a slight flutter in my stomach,
a sensation I was still getting used to.
I walked over to the mirror and touched my abdomen.
The new doctor had been right.
Once the suppressants were out of my system,
my body had healed itself.
I was four months pregnant.
The father was a man I had met at a charity gala three months ago.
He was kind,
honest,
and had nothing to do with the corporate world.
But more importantly,
this child was mine.
This child was the legacy Kenneth had tried to steal.
I walked out to the reception area.
"Ready to go?"
the man asked,
standing up with a warm smile.
"Ready,"
I said.
We walked toward the elevator,
passing the portrait of my father in the lobby.
I felt like he was smiling.
I had taken the broken pieces of my life and built something stronger.
I had faced the betrayal,
survived the pain,
and come out the other side.
As we stepped out into the sunshine,
I thought about the hospital room.
I thought about the glue.
I thought about the secrets in the safe.
They were all just memories now.
Part of a story that had a beginning,
May you like
a middle,
and a very satisfying end.
