Chapter 5 - The Reckoning in Seattle
Three days later, the private jet bearing Damon, Cassandra, Luke, and Violet touched down at Boeing Field in Seattle under a crisp, gray Pacific Northwest sky.
The city looked unchanged from the outside—the Space Needle piercing the clouds, the gray waters of Elliott Bay reflecting the winter light—but everything inside Damon Prescott had fundamentally shifted.
Instead of heading straight to corporate headquarters, Damon took his family directly to their original home—the small, craftsman-style house in Ballard where they had started their marriage twelve years ago. He had quietly purchased the property back six months ago, keeping it empty as a silent monument to a life he thought he had lost forever.
When the black SUV pulled up to the curb, Cassandra stared out the window in disbelief.
"Damon... is this...?"
"It’s yours," he said, opening her door and offering his hand. "I bought it back from the couple who bought it when we left. Nothing has changed inside. The kitchen table is still the one we bought off Craigslist. The floors still squeak by the master bedroom."
Cassandra stepped out into the crisp Seattle air, holding Violet while Luke ran ahead, shouting at the winter pigeons. She looked up at the faded green front door where she had once stood crying as she packed her bags.
"Why did you keep it?" she asked softly.
"Because it was the last place I was truly happy," Damon answered, stepping up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Before I traded my soul for a balance sheet. I wanted to keep it safe, waiting for a miracle I didn't deserve."
Before Cassandra could reply, a sleek black sedan pulled up behind their SUV. An attorney from Damon’s corporate legal team stepped out, carrying a thick leather briefcase.
"Mr. Prescott," the attorney said, nodding respectfully. "We’ve finalized the asset forfeiture against Marcus Vance. The federal judge signed off on the freeze orders this morning. In addition, Marcus has agreed to plead guilty to all charges to avoid a maximum security trial. His assets—including his downtown penthouse and his investment portfolio—have been transferred directly into a restitution trust bearing Mrs. Prescott’s name."
Cassandra turned around in Damon’s arms, her eyes wide. "Damon, you didn't have to—"
"I had to do everything," Damon interrupted, taking her face in both hands. "Every dollar Marcus stole from us, every second of pain he caused you while I was blind to it—it belongs to you now. Prescott Global is officially restructuring. I’m stepping down as active CEO of daily operations and moving into a chairman role. I’m taking six months of paternity leave, Cassie."
Cassandra’s breath caught in her throat. "Six months? But your board—your acquisitions—"
"Can run themselves," Damon smiled, a genuine, radiant smile that she hadn't seen in a decade. "I spent the first half of my life building an empire so I never had to feel powerless again. I spent the last three years paying the price for that ambition. I’m not losing another minute of my children growing up, and I’m certainly not spending another night away from my wife."
Luke ran back over, tugging on the hem of Damon’s trousers. "Daddy, can we go inside? My fingers are cold!"
May you like
Damon looked down at his son, scooped him up effortlessly into his arms, and kissed the top of his sandy-brown head.
"Lead the way, Captain," Damon laughed.
