Her Last Gift

Silverton’s winter rain fell in fine threads against the glass curtain wall of the office building.I sat at my desk in the outer area of Daniel Cardea’s office and watched the window. The paper shredder beside me whirred as it pulled in documents. The white pages entered the machine and came out as thin strips, which felt like a quiet reminder of my own fate.Linda Clark, the secretary who spoke down her nose at everyone, tapped on my desk. “Hey, you. Mr. Cardea wants to see you.”At Talho and Partners Law Firm, no one called me Mira Lowe. They called me “that intern,” and in the break room, they used even harsher names.I stood up. My knee made a soft crack. It was a lingering effect from spending long hours kneeling on the thick imported rug at Daniel’s villa while I helped him organize case files or complete other tasks.I pushed open the heavy mahogany door. Daniel sat before the tall window. Gold‑rimmed glasses rested on his straight nose bridge, and the chain beside his ear

Daniel would never let me go.Even if I ran to the ends of the earth, he would use the law, his connections, or the threat against my only living relative to drag me back.He would break my legs and lock me in the basement.It had happened before, two years earlier, when I believed I could escape.I ran to the coast. My feet had already stepped onto a smuggling boat. That night, Daniel appeared behind me in the darkness.He did not touch me. He sent my best friend, who helped me gather money to flee, to prison.After he brought me back, he locked me in a basement with no sunlight for thirty days. In the darkness, he said one sentence to me each day.“Mira, you see? Aside from me, whoever tries to save you will suffer.”Those thirty days destroyed the Mira Lowe who wanted to escape alive. This time, I chose a different path.I lifted my head and looked at Morgan without lowering myself.“Mrs. Cardea, I do not want the money.”“Not enough for you?”I shook my head and gave a

My death day had finally arrived.As a workaholic who never took a day off, even on a holiday like New Year’s, Daniel still left for the law firm early in the morning.Before he left, he kissed my forehead. “Wait for me tonight.”I smiled as I watched him go. I stood there until the black Bentley disappeared at the end of the road.I was the only one in the villa. I had sent the housekeeper away.I locked the door and drew all the curtains. I went to the bathroom and turned on the water.Daniel’s surveillance system in the villa was thorough. Micro cameras covered the living room, study, and bedroom. His pride created one weakness. He refused to let anyone see him with his guard down, so the bathroom and walk‑in closet had privacy blind spots.I had studied Daniel’s daily work patterns for years.Every day from ten in the morning to two in the afternoon, he silenced non‑urgent alerts during meetings or court hearings at the firm.If my biometric bracelet sent an abnormal signa

We stayed in a cheap motel on the outskirts of Silverton.This place did not require identification. A single hundred‑dollar bill made the old man at the front desk toss us the keys without a word.The room smelled of mold. The wallpaper peeled at the corners and had dark stains along the edges.I sat on the yellowed sheets and watched Morgan.This noblewoman, who usually drank imported bottled water and ate at three‑star Michelin restaurants, now crouched in front of a grimy electric kettle and tried to boil water for two cups of instant noodles.Her movements were clumsy. Hot water splashed onto her hand, and she hissed in pain.She did not complain like she once did. She shook her hand and kept tearing open the seasoning packets.“Do not be surprised. Conditions are rough. We will have to make do.“Back when Daniel’s father spent his time chasing women, I made this for my son and told him it was magic noodles.”She brought the noodles to me. There was no sausage and no egg,

Just ahead was a bridge. Gray water rushed beneath it and pushed up uneven waves.Our car came to a stop. We were blocked in front and followed from behind. Daniel had used his influence to create a temporary traffic closure, turning this stretch of bridge into a place where we could not escape.The car sat in the emergency lane. Rain struck the roof in heavy sheets.Morgan checked the locked doors again. She turned quickly, searched through the bag in the back seat, and pulled out a black flash drive. She pushed it into my clothing.“Take this. It has recordings and ledgers from his study, the login information for the smart home system in that villa, and evidence that his private doctor practiced medicine without proper approval.”Morgan’s tear‑filled eyes met mine.“Mira, you are a smart girl. Do not waste what you learned in college.“With these, that villa is no longer his fortress. It is your weapon. If something happens to me, use these to bring him to justice.”“Mrs. Ca