The silence that followed Castellano's final breath was deafening. The gunshot still rang in my ears, and for a moment, it was hard to believe it was truly over. His body lay motionless on the forest floor, the shadow that had haunted my life for so long finally gone. But the weight of what had happened didn't lift, not yet.
I stared at Castellano's still form, my heart pounding in my chest, the realization slowly sinking in. It was over. The man who had threatened my daughter, my family, my future—he was gone. But even as relief washed over me, a strange emptiness took its place.
I felt William's hand on my shoulder, steady and grounding. His voice was low, calm, but filled with something unspoken. "Alice, it's done. He can't hurt you or Ava anymore."
I turned to him, my eyes wide with disbelief. "He's… really gone?"
William nodded, his expression softening as he met my gaze. "Yes. It's over."
