CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-NINE - Justice Served

Thank you," she murmured to Mason, her voice thick with emotion. "For everything." Mason pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Always," he replied simply. As the fire slowly died down to embers, Claire felt herself drifting off to sleep, free from the nightmares that had plagued her for so long. In that moment, nestled safely in Mason's arms, she knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together. The mountain retreat had given her the space and time she needed to begin healing, to start imagining a future beyond the shadow of the embezzlement scandal. And while she still had a long way to go, Claire felt, for the first time in months, truly hopeful about what lay ahead. As dawn broke over the mountains the next morning, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and gold, Claire stood on the porch of the cabin, a steaming mug of coffee warming her hands. The air was crisp and clean, filled with the promise of a new day. She took a deep breath, letting the peacefu